A Co Waterford community was in shock yesterday after a young woman and her boyfriend were killed when their car collided with a truck being driven by her father.
Ms Caroline Cliffe (19), and Mr Richard Lonergan (23), both from Touraneena near Dungar van, died following the crash on the Clonmel-Dungarvan road at about 8.30 p.m. on Monday.
Ms Cliffe was driving towards Dungarvan when the car collided with a truck driven by her father, Mr Patrick Cliffe, going in the opposite direction. Mr Lonergan, a passenger in Ms Cliffe's car, was employed by Mr Cliffe's haulage firm.
The accident happened in bad weather conditions at Bawnfune, near Ballymacerberry, eight miles from Clonmel and a similar distance from the two families' homes.
A Waterford county councillor who knows both families, Mr Kieran O'Ryan, said the entire area was "devastated" by what had happened. "The place is in deep shock and I can only offer my condolences to the families. My heart goes out to them," he said.
Mr O'Ryan's daughter, Caroline, was the second person to arrive on the scene of the accident, behind a local nurse. "The road where it happened was recently resurfaced by Waterford County Council and is as good as any secondary road in Ireland," said Mr Ryan.
However, there was "torrential rain" at the time and it was likely surface water had accumulated by the roadside, making conditions particularly hazardous. Mr Lonergan died at the scene of the accident. Firemen used cutting equipment to free Ms Cliffe from the wreckage. She was removed to Waterford Regional Hospital where she died at 6 a.m. yesterday.
Mr Cliffe was not injured but was "obviously devastated" when he realised the occupants of the other vehicle were his daughter and her boyfriend, Mr O'Ryan said. His own daughter, Caroline, had been due to attend an office party in Clonmel which was cancelled as a mark of respect to the crash victims.
