Police to be investigated after crash victims lay dead in wreckage for 2 days
A police watchdog has launched an investigation into two forces over the search for missing victims of a deadly car crash in Cardiff amid allegations they did not take matters seriously.
Eve Smith and Darcy Ross, both 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, died in the collision, while Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, remain in a critical condition after a Volkswagen Tiguan they were in left the A48(M) in Cardiff and hit trees in the St Mellons area of the city.
Officers believe the car was involved in a collision and left the road some time later, but further investigations are needed to establish an exact time.
Ms Russon is said to have laid semi-conscious in the wreckage, next to her deceased friends, while calling for help for two days.
Yesterday, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it was "urgently carrying out an assessment" of the referrals which were made by Gwent Police and South Wales Police on Tuesday.
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In an update last night, the watchdog said it will be investigating the forces' response to the missing person reports.
Eve Smith and Darcy Ross, both 21, and 20-year-old Sophie Russon went missing after a night out in NewportThe two forces had confirmed that four separate missing person reports were made - three to Gwent Police at 7.34pm, 7.43pm and 9.32pm on Saturday, then one to South Wales Police at 5.37pm on Sunday.
Hundreds of people took part in searches but Gwent Police did not issue a public appeal for help until 11pm on Sunday.
David Ford, IOPC director, said: "After careful assessment of referrals from Gwent Police and South Wales Police, we have decided to independently investigate how police responded to the missing person reports.
"We will be examining what information police had, the grading given to any risk assessments and the steps taken by police to locate the missing people prior to the Volkswagen Tiguan being found just after midnight on Monday.
Rafel Jeanne, 24, sadly died in the collision
Ms Russon's mum (pictured left) said her daughter laid semi-conscious in the wreckage for two days"We will also consider what communication took place between the two forces and whether police action was appropriate and followed relevant policy and procedures."
Ms Russon's mum made a total of 10 calls to Gwent Police on the Saturday, but was apparently told that her daughter was "probably out partying".
Anna Certowicz told the Daily Mail: "They didn't seem to care. I had to drive to Cardiff to knock on doors myself because they were doing sod all.
"They just didn't seem to think it was worth investigating. It was so frustrating.
Shane Loughlin, 32, remains in a critical condition in hospital (Media Wales)"I think they assumed that Sophie was hungover somewhere, but she's a sensible girl who works in a bank and hasn't taken a day off for three years... She wouldn't just vanish like this unless something was wrong."
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A vigil was held at the crash site on Tuesday evening where around 1,000 people gathered, lighting candles and flares while others rode mopeds, motorbikes and quad bikes around the roundabout.
A firework display lit up the sky above St Mellons for around 30 minutes while family and friends looked on.
Rafel's sister, Ffion Actie, told Sky News at the vigil she feels "disappointed" police did not act sooner.
Mourners lit smoke flares at a vigil held last night (WALES NEWS SERVICE)She said: "I heard the girls' mums had contacted (police) but it had taken several hours (to respond).
"I feel they should have acted straight away."
Ms Actie added: "I like to think that if (police) got there sooner, it would have been a different outcome."
Rachel O'Neill, 37, from Rumney, attended the vigil with her daughter Molly.
She said: "It's been heartbreaking to think that they were there for so long, for 46 hours, and that they were found by people and not even the police.
A vigil was held at the crash site on Tuesday evening where around 1,000 people gathered (WalesOnline/Rob Browne)"It's absolutely disgusting, and you just don't know. There could have been some lives saved if they had moved faster."
They said they knew Mr Jeanne and Mr Loughlin, and Molly O'Neill added she was friends with Mr Jeanne's sister.
Another woman at the vigil, who did not want to be named, said there is "a feeling of anger" among mourners.
The woman, from Llanrumney, said: "There's a sense that if we had left it to the police and the public had done nothing, that they'd probably still be in that car in there. It's just sad the police didn't think they were a priority and thought they were partying."
Police have confirmed the group were last seen at about 2am on Saturday in Pentwyn, Cardiff.
Rafel's sister, Ffion Actie, told Sky News at the vigil (pictured) she feels "disappointed" police did not act sooner (PA)In a joint statement, Gwent Police and South Wales Police said a helicopter was asked to search an area of Cardiff at 11.50pm on Sunday.
The forces added that Gwent Police officers on the ground had sight of the car at 12.02am on Monday and South Wales Police created a log at 12.15am.
But members of the friends' search party, Matthew Pace, 45, and his son Lewis, 26, told Sky News they found the car shortly before officers arrived after seeing tyre marks leading off the road and into a wooded area.
Tamzin Samuels, 20, a friend of the young women and who helped in the search effort, said: "I do think the police could have done a lot more in putting the helicopters out earlier.
People attend a vigil in the St Mellons area of Cardiff, in memory of the crash victims (PA)"They only posted the appeal an hour before the girls were found. We found them before the police found them - we rang the police."
Two women who were friends of the Loughlin family questioned the police response.
They said: "The police were terrible. I don't think they took it seriously."
"The families said it was out of character for them to go missing and the police should have listened to them."
They added: "Shane's mum was up all weekend worried sick.
Smoke flares were lit in honour of the crash victims (PA)"The boys from Cardiff, all their friends were driving around looking for them. It was those people looking who found them, not the police."
Tributes to those who died have been paid on social media.
Ms Smith's death comes eight years after her sister Xana Doyle, 19, was killed in a car crash. The driver, who was twice the drink-drive limit, was prosecuted and Ms Smith took part in a Sky TV documentary about the incident and campaigned for tougher sentences.
Another sister paid tribute to her in a Facebook post.
Floral tributes left near the scene off the A48 in Cardiff (John Myers)"I know you're safe up with there with our beautiful sister Xana but I was never ready to let you go, my body is aching without you," she said.
In a statement, Ms Smith's family asked for their privacy to be respected.
They added: "We want to allow Gwent Police and South Wales Police the time and space to investigate the matter in a thorough and professional way and to enable the Independent Office for Police Conduct thereafter to come to their own conclusions."
And a friend of Mr Loughlin posted: "I'm so proud of us all pulling together out there searching for our dear friends last night.
"It's heartbreaking what's happened to Rafel Jeanne and those two girls. My body is still shaking and I can't stop being sick (at) the thought of them all there all of that time."
Gwent Police's Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hoborough and South Wales Police's Assistant Chief Constable Jason Davies said their thoughts are with the victims' families.
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