Irish sisters killed in road accident in France

Two Irish sisters killed in a road accident in west France were planning a shopping trip when they died, it emerged today.

Catherine Miller, 28, and Jennifer, 22, were killed instantly when their car collided with two trucks at Cholet, near Nantes, yesterday.

Their father, Liam, 56, a former senior RTE executive, arrived in France this morning after flying from the US where he has business interests.

“Catherine had just picked Jennifer up from the airport and they planned to do some shopping before returning to their parents’ home in nearby La Rochelle,” a family friend said in Dublin today.

RTE today confirmed the identities of the two women and said that Mr Miller’s former colleagues at the national broadcaster were shocked by the deaths.

Director of communications Bride Rosney said: “We are all devastated by the tragedy and our sympathies go out to Liam and his wife Britt.

“He was due to arrive in France this morning.”

Mr Miller left RTE in 2003 after a successful 34-year career and is now doing consultancy work.

Jennifer had been living and working in Paris, while Catherine was a drama student at Trinity College Dublin.

It is understood they planned to spend Christmas at the family’s holiday home.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said it could not confirm the identities of the Miller sisters or any details of a police investigation into the accident.

A spokeswoman explained: “We have a duty of care and confidentiality to Irish citizens in a tragic situation like this.”

Emergency services said road conditions were treacherous at the time and there was black ice on stretches of the road in the Loire Valley.