Community in mourning after friends die in crash

A small rural community was plunged in to mourning today after two young friends were killed in a road crash.

The men, aged 19 and 21, died when their car smashed in to a wall on the main Letterkenny to Derry Road in Co Donegal.

The horrific scene was discovered by a passer-by around half a kilometre south of Newtown Cunningham at 7.30am.

The victims, who were named locally as Darren Downey and Gary McLoughlin, were pronounced dead at the scene

Investigating officers are keen to speak to anyone who travelled on the stretch of road to establish when the accident happened.

Local Councillor Francis Conaghan said the collision happened not five miles from the young men’s family homes.

“Everybody is devastated,” he said.

“The two lads are from Burt, a rural community on Derry side of the village, and are from two well respected families who are are well connected to the area.

“Everyone in the area knows someone belonging to them.

“It’s just devastating, the type of news nobody wants to hear.”