Babysitter killed in car crash

A priest called to the scene of a single vehicle crash in which a teenager died yesterday appealed to drivers to take care on the roads.

Caitlin Taylor, 14, of Goulds Hill, Mallow, Co Cork, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, which occurred about 5km outside the village of Scartaglin, Co Kerry, at 11.25pm on Sunday. She was a front-seat passenger in a car driven by Sarah O’Connell, 20, also from Mallow. Ms O’Connell and her 18-month-old daughter, Sophie, who was in the back seat, were both taken to Kerry General Hospital, Tralee, but did not have life-threatening injuries. It is understood Ms Taylor was a babysitter for Ms O’Connell and they were on their way to Tralee at the time. The car went over a ditch on a gently sloping bend and ended up in a field in an area where there have been several accidents, between Scartaglin and Ballydesmond, Co Cork.

Castleisland parish priest Monsignor Dan O’Riordan, who was called to the scene at 12.45am yesterday, asked for prayers for Caitlin and others in the crash. “Everyone had been enjoying the fine weather and it was a beautiful night otherwise in the area,” he said.