‘Unimaginable’ pain as two young Derry men killed in Donegal crash
A community in Derry[1] has been plunged into "unimaginable" pain following the death of two young men in a road crash.
The pair, understood to be from Derry's Shantallow area and aged in their late teens, died following a collision involving a car, in which they were passengers, and a lorry on the R236 at St Johnston in Co Donegal, close to the bank of the River Foyle, on Tuesday night.
The third young man, believed to be the driver of the car and also in his late teens, is in Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) and remains in a serious condition.
The tragedy has yet again highlighted the carnage on Irish roads, and follows a weekend of horror that saw seven people lose their lives in collisions across the island, including two men and a woman in a multi-vehicle crash near Moy in Co Tyrone[2] on Saturday night.
Almost 50 people have now died in crashes on Irish roads in 2026, including 16 killed in Northern Ireland.
Tuesday night's tragedy followed the death of a man in his 30s the previous night in a crash on the A5 in Co Tyrone[3] - a road that has now seen a staggering 58 deaths since 2006, and where a long-awaited upgrade is stalled as a result of a legal challenge.
Gardai said Tuesday's crash happened shortly before 11.15pm, and one of the victims was pronounced dead at the scene following the arrival of emergency services.
The second passenger died after being taken to Derry's Altnagelvin Hospital, where the driver was also taken before being transferred to the RVH in Belfast.
The road remained closed on Wednesday to allow for an examination by Garda collision investigators, and the force is appealing for witnesses to the crash to contact them.
In Derry, where both deceased were from, locals awoke on Wednesday to news of a "profound tragedy", Foyle MP Colum Eastwood said.
"My thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost loved ones," he said. "Today and the days ahead will be unimaginably difficult. But I know that people in Derry and Donegal will offer them every possible support to get through this.
"We're also thinking of the young man in hospital in Belfast today with serious injuries. I want to thank the emergency services for their response to a difficult situation."
Both young victims had previously been involved in youth activities in the Shantallow Community Centre, which opened on Wednesday for local young people to gather and "remember their amazing friends in a safe, comfortable, loving space", and also speak to qualified grief counsellors.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the centre said: "The pain being felt across our community right now is unimaginable.
"Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with their families and everyone who loved them.
We are also keeping the other young man, who remains in critical condition, very much in our thoughts and prayers at this time."
Soccer club Foyle Harps YFC said in a statement on Wednesday that "Shantallow is a dark place today".
"God bless the two boys who tragically lost their lives.
Our thoughts and prayers are with their families and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time," a spokesperson said.
"Rest in peace, young men, taken far too soon.
Please help us pray for the young lad in hospital, hoping he pulls through and makes a full recovery."
Derry SDLP councillor Catherine McDaid spoke of the "sense of shock" in Shantallow and beyond.
"This is an unimaginable tragedy and the wider community is feeling this pain strongly as it comes to terms with this tragic news," she said.
References
- ^ https://www.irishnews.com/tags/derry/ (www.irishnews.com)
- ^ https://www.irishnews.com/tags/co-tyrone/ (www.irishnews.com)
- ^ https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/man-in-30s-dead-after-crash-on-a5-near-ballygawley-D3GQQGML75DZHLR7QKIOEMYBWU/ (www.irishnews.com)