The father of Eve Smith, one of three young people killed in a car crash near Cardiff, has released a new photograph of his daughter in a heartbreaking tribute. Eve, 21, died alongside her childhood friend Darcy Ross, also 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, after the car they were travelling in crashed in the early hours of Saturday.
Writing on Facebook, Everton Smith described the 'pain and numbness' of losing his daughter. He said: 'I would give anything to hear her sing a song again, fly high my queen, I loved you more than words can say and will cherish the 21 years I had with you bossing my life!'
The crash involved a white Volkswagen Tiguan. Two other occupants, Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, were found injured in the same vehicle and remain in hospital. Sophie has described how she lay suspended for hours among her dead friends.
The group had been reported missing 48 hours before the crash site was located. The families have criticised Gwent Police and South Wales Police for their handling of the case, claiming officers initially dismissed their concerns. Both forces have referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which has announced it will investigate their response to the missing person reports.
The friends were last seen on CCTV at a petrol station in Cardiff at 2am on Saturday. They had travelled around 85 miles, stopping at a caravan park in Porthcawl before heading back towards Cardiff, where the crash occurred. Friends and family have held a vigil, releasing balloons and setting off fireworks in memory of the victims.
