Irish mother’s car crash death being treated as murder

Three people arrested over crash in Fermanagh which PSNI believes involved two cars

The PSNI have appealed to the  public to come forward if they have any details that could help the inquiry. Photograph: Trevor McBride
The PSNI have appealed to the public to come forward if they have any details that could help the inquiry. Photograph: Trevor McBride

A third person has been arrested in connection with the death of a woman in a car crash in Co Fermanagh which the Police Service of Northern Ireland is now treating as murder.

Natasha Carruthers, aged 23 and a mother of a one-year-old baby daughter from Letterbreen in Co Fermanagh, died following the crash on the Newbridge Road at Derrylin, Co Fermanagh, last Saturday. Her funeral was held in Rossorry Parish Church, near Enniskillen on Wednesday.

Two others in the car with her were injured.

A 40-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday while on Thursday a 20-year-old man was arrested in the Maguiresbridge area of Co Fermanagh.Initially, police thought it was a single-car accident but after forensic checks and speaking to the injured man and woman in the car they established that a second vehicle was involved.

A 20-year-old woman was later arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.

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Inquiries

Det Chief Insp Eamonn Corrigan urged anyone who may have seen Ms Carruthers's blue Corsa between 11pm and midnight on Saturday, who saw anyone speeding in the area, or who had dashcam footage that could help the investigation to get in touch with police.

“At this time we believe that a second vehicle was involved in the collision that cost Natasha her life and our inquiries to date have led us to conclude that the collision should now be regarded as murder,” he said.

Gerry Moriarty

Gerry Moriarty

Gerry Moriarty is the former Northern editor of The Irish Times