A SMALL RURAL community in Laois is in shock after the loss of three people in a road crash yesterday morning.
35 year old Angela Kelly, Orla Curry and Martin Brophy, both 20, were all killed when the car they were travelling in hit a road sign at Middlemount on the Rathdowney to Abbeyleix road. A 16-year-old boy was also injured in the crash.
Today, local councillors said the community was devastated to wake up to the news yesterday. Brendan Phelan, who said he knows the three families well, said the last 24 hours have been very tough on them.
“It’s a terrible tragedy for the families involved. It’s any small community’s nightmare to wake up on a weekend morning and hear of three local people killed,” he said.
Fine Gael councillor John King said it is a very close knit community where everyone knows each other.
“The area itself, everybody is very good to give support in times of tragedy – in good times and in bad. When you first hear of something like this you’re in shock and then you find out the names of people who lost their lives. It takes a while to sink in.”
He said he had seen groups of young people – friends of those who were killed – coming together in the town “trying to come to terms with the loss of their friends”.
“There are no answers to this I’m afraid. All we can do is support the families and pray for them and make sure to chat to them, that’s very important.”
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