GARDAÍ INVESTIGATING a car crash that claimed the lives of four teenagers were last night trying to establish the exact movements of the vehicle in the hours leading up to the crash outside Killarney early yesterday.
Brothers David (17) and Kevin Breen (15) from Hazelwood Drive, Ballyspillane, Killarney, and Áine O’Riordan (15) from St John’s Park, Castleisland, all died at the scene, while Brian Coffey (19) from Crohane, Fossa, died later in hospital.
A fifth passenger, Darragh Jones (16), from Farranfore, was last night in a stable condition at Kerry General Hospital following the crash at Carrigeen, six kilometres from Killarney on the Killarney-Mallow road.
Gardaí spoke yesterday to another teenager to whom the car – a 10-year-old silver Hyundai Accent – had been lent, but who did not travel in it with the five others. A garage in Barraduff had given him the car while his own vehicle was undergoing repairs.
Gardaí have established that two of the occupants of the car at the time of the crash met this teenager while attending a house party at Kilcummin at about 3am. The crash happened at 7.10am.Gardaí believe David Breen was driving the car.
A forensic examination may shed light on whether speed was a factor in the crash. Gardaí are awaiting the results of postmortem results, including toxicology reports.
They believe the driver lost control of the car as it was taking a fairly gentle left-hand bend. Driving conditions at the time were described as good.