The partner of an 18-year-old woman who was tragically killed in a car crash has paid a touching tribute to her.
Luke McSweeney, 24, Grace McSweeney, Nicole Murphy, and Zoey Coffey, who were all 18, died in a crash in County Tipperary, Ireland on Friday evening (25 August) when the car they were travelling in hit a wall.
All four of them were declared dead at the scene.
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The three 18-year-olds had been on their way to a party where they would celebrate their exam results coming through.
Aaron Costin, also 18, and Grace had been in a relationship for around two years. She sent him a message on Snapchat before getting into the car.
Just a few minutes after seeing her location on the messaging app, he got a message from a friend telling him there had been a crash on that road.
Aaron described how he had rushed to the scene of the crash but was unable to access it as the area had been cordoned off.
He said that he had not wanted to believe it was their car.
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He told the Sunday Times: "There was something in me that didn’t want to believe it was their car but I could see the car and then I knew what it was. It was hard."
He added: "She was bubbly, she was friendly. She was there for anyone, whenever you wanted. Her family made the home very welcoming. She was one of the greatest women I’ve ever met in my life."
The pair had been planning to take a trip to Amsterdam. History-lover Grace had wanted to go on the tour of the annex where Anne Frank had hidden.
Tributes have poured in for Grace, Zoey, Nicole, and Luke.
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Grace and Zoey both attended Presentation Secondary School, where they had received their exam results.
Headmaster Michael O’Loughlin said: “No words can express our sorrow, our pain and our grief. Zoey and Grace were two beautiful students, loved by everybody who met them and [they] achieved such excellent results on Friday.
"Both girls were absolutely thrilled with the results and were looking forward to new exciting times ahead. Grace was a gentle and kind person. She was thoughtful, considerate, and hard working. Grace was a gifted gymnast and a dancer and a very good student who had a positive impact on everybody she encountered."
A spokesperson for the Garda confirmed that an investigation into the crash is now underway.
Superintendent Kieran Ruane said: "An Garda Síochána's focus is the preparation of an investigation file for the Coroner.
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"Family Liaison Officers have been appointed to each of the families to provide support and the families will be kept updated as to the course of the investigation. I want to acknowledge and express my gratitude to my colleagues in An Garda Síochána and the other emergency services who attended the scene last night.
"Finally, I once again want to express my sympathies to the families of Luke, Grace, Nicole and Zoey. The families have appealed for privacy at this time. May they rest in peace."
Topics: News, World News, Ireland
Kit Roberts