Tributes paid to teenager (18) who died in Tipperary collision

Sarah Slater

Tributes are being paid to a Leaving Cert student who died after the car she was driving hit a wall and entered a river in Co Tipperary on Thursday night.

The incident happened sometime between 10 pm and midnight at Kilaldry Bridge in the townland of Kilmoyler, Co Tipperary.

The victim has been named locally as 18-year-old Bronagh English.

Gardaí along with a sub-aqua team and Tipperary Fire and Rescue, were alerted after the student failed to return to her home in Clonmel.

It is understood the car hit a low wall and was flipped into the Aherlow river.

The Ford Fiesta was discovered in the river in the early hours of the morning. A Garda sub aqua team located the 18-year-old, and her body was recovered from the river at about 5 am.

She was pronounced dead at the scene, and her body was taken to Tipperary University Hospital (TUH) where a postmortem will be carried out.

Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council Fine Gael councillor Declan Burgess said the fatal crash was “incredibly sad news”.

“The locality is stunned at the news. Our thoughts and sympathies are with the girl’s family as she passed away so tragically. The emergency services have also to be thanked for their help.”

Clonmel-based Fine Gael councillor John Fitzgerald added that he knows the student’s family “well” and that the young girl was a “beautiful and highly respected person” from the area.

While non-party councillor John Heney, who is from the Cahir area offered his deepest sympathies to the teenager’s family and said:

“The shocking news has very much affected the entire community as she was so young and had her whole life ahead of her.”

The L3101 from the Lady Gregory Pub on the N24 Cahir – Bansha Road to Kilmoyler was closed for several hours to allow for a technical examination by gardaí.

Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses close to the area to contact them at Cahir Garda station on 052-7445630.