Caravan park ‘dispute’ investigated by police ahead of Cardiff crash
Police are investigating reports of a “dispute” said to have taken place just hours before a fatal car crash in Cardiff.
Eve Smith and Darcy Ross, both 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, died when the Volkswagen Tiguan they were in left the A48(M) and struck trees in the St Mellons borough in the early hours of Saturday.
Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, were found alive and seriously injured in the wreckage 48 hours later and remain in critical condition.
Officials believe the car was involved in a collision and veered off the road some time later.
Now South Wales Police have said they are investigating reports of an altercation at Trecco Bay Caravan Park in Porthcawl, where the group drove after leaving a Newport nightclub 40 miles away, and claim a sixth passenger was in the car , the Mirror, has been reports.
An anonymous source quoted by The sun said yesterday: “We heard they went to the caravan park and there was some sort of altercation, we don’t know what that was, but they had to go.
“There was another man in the car who wanted to go home. They put him down and then eventually crashed.’
The force said it could not comment further while the investigation was ongoing.
The group of friends involved in Saturday’s crash had been at a social club in Maesglas, Newport, on Friday before traveling to the park.
After being unable to return home, the five were reported missing by their families.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an investigation into two police forces over the search for missing victims.
It came after a friend of Rafel Jeanne’s spotted the car after just 15 minutes of searching.
Sophie Russon, 20, was injured so badly in the collision that she was unable to reach her phone and call for help.
The bank employee has since had life-saving surgery at the hospital.
Timeline: Police confirm investigation stages
- The last confirmed sighting of the five individuals was at 2am on Saturday 4th March in Pentwyn.
- The collision occurred in the early hours of March 4, the exact time to be confirmed by the investigation, including CCTV and ANPR inquiries.
- The first missing persons report was made to Gwent Police at 7.34pm on Saturday 4 March.
- Further missing persons reports were received by Gwent Police at 7.43pm and 9.32pm on Saturday 4 March.
- Another missing persons report was made to South Wales Police at 5.37pm on Sunday 5 March.
- At 11.50pm on Sunday 5 March the police helicopter was called in to search an area of Cardiff which resulted in a vehicle being located in a wooded area off the A48.
- Local Gwent Police officers had sighted the car (a Volkswagen Tiguan) at 00:02 on Monday 6 March and this resulted in a log being made by South Wales Police at 00:15.
- Police believe only one vehicle is involved.
A vigil was held at the crash site on Tuesday night, with around 1,000 people gathered, lighting candles and torches while others drove around the roundabout on mopeds, motorcycles and quads.
Fireworks lit up the skies over St Mellons for about 30 minutes as family and friends looked on.
Police have confirmed the group were last seen in Pentwyn, Cardiff, around 2am on Saturday.
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https://metro.co.uk/2023/03/09/caravan-park-altercation-before-cardiff-crash-investigated-by-police-18411207/ Caravan park 'dispute' investigated by police ahead of Cardiff crash