Friends of tragic Monaghan teens tried to help save them

Ellen Fitzpatrick

The friends of the two teenagers who sadly died following a tragic car crash in Monaghan attempted to save the girls.

Best friends Kiea McCann, 17, and Dlava Mohamed, 16, both lost their lives in a crash on the N54 outside Clones in Monaghan on Monday evening as they were travelling to their Debs ball.

Friends who witnessed the harrowing crash and saw the aftermath have now said they tried to save the two girls.

The car was one of many travelling along the road when the accident occurred due to the number of students at Largy College heading to an event, a member of the school’s board of management confirmed.

Gardaí have confirmed that the car crashed into a tree but they are not releasing any further information as the investigation continues.

An 18-year-old woman has been left in critical condition and is currently receiving treatment at Cavan General Hospital, while a man, also 18, is receiving treatment for non-life-threatening injuries at Cavan General Hospital.

The 60-year-old driver of the car is also in critical condition and is being treated at Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.

Officers confirmed that all five people were travelling in the same car, with family members of the four teens rushing to the scene following the incident.

David Maxwell, a member of the board of management of Largy College, told RTÉ Radio One that friends and neighbours were the first to arrive on the scene.

He said: “We hear about these stories about first responders landing out to an accident, and it is a family member involved in the accident.

“But when ordinary people are travelling in a convoy along the road and an accident happens, and you’re the first there, it must be unbearable.”

In a statement, Kiea’s father Frankie McCann said: “There was great excitement here in the house before they went out. We had food and Champagne and balloons, and it was going to be a great night.”

Her mother Teresa added: “It will be hard on all the young people. Hard on all the friends.”

Kiea’s sister Shaunice McCann later posted on social media to say: “I really don’t know what to say. I’m just so heartbroken over you, my little baby sister. I have no words to describe the emotions going through me right now. ‘I really don’t know what to do without you.

“I am just so lost and don’t understand how something like this could just happen to you and I just hope you know that we all love you so much.

“I would do anything just to have you here with me one last time just to tell you that I love you and need you. You were taken from us too soon, your life was just starting to begin and you can no longer enjoy it.

“You were such a strong, beautiful, loving, caring girl and very thick-headed but I would never change anything about you.”

While a spokesperson for Dlava’s family said: “It is just awful and a real tragedy. There’s nothing more you can say about it than that.

“What is happening now is that all the men are standing outside the house while the women are inside. That’s what the tradition is in our culture.”