Heartbroken Mother Condemns Police Over 46-Hour Crash Response Delay
A devastated mother has spoken out against police failures after it was revealed six officers will face misconduct proceedings for taking nearly two days to locate five car crash victims near Cardiff.
Tragic Discovery After Prolonged Search
The bodies of Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, were discovered in the wreckage of a VW Tiguan approximately 46 hours after they went missing during a night out. The vehicle had careered off the A48 in the St Mellons area of Cardiff at around 2am on March 4, 2023.
When officers finally reached the crash site on March 6, 2023, they found Sophie Russon, then 20, and Shane Loughlin, then 32, still alive but critically injured beside their deceased friends. The crash site, hidden among trees, had remained undetected despite the first missing persons report being filed with Gwent Police on the same day of the crash at approximately 7.30pm on March 4.
Systemic Failures and Family Anguish
Emma Borg, mother of victim Eve Smith, condemned what she described as 'serious ingrained failings' that potentially robbed her daughter of a chance to survive. 'It is clear from the outset that the reports of the missing girls were not taken seriously and dismissed by Gwent Police,' Ms Borg stated.
In a heartbreaking twist of fate, Ms Borg had previously lost her other daughter - Eve's sister - eight years earlier in a fatal collision caused by a drug driver. Eve Smith had even appeared in a Sky TV documentary about that incident and campaigned for tougher sentences.
The grieving mother described the 32-month wait for the investigation report as 'arduous and distressing' and said it had 'eroded any faith and respect that was ever had for the force.'
Police Watchdog Investigation Findings
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) conducted a complex investigation into whether the missing persons reports, made between March 4 and 5, 2023, were appropriately risk assessed, reviewed and resourced.
Family members of those involved made more than 30 complaints to the IOPC regarding the actions and decisions by Gwent Police and South Wales Police. An IOPC spokesman confirmed that for more than half of these complaints, 'the service provided was unacceptable.'
The disciplinary actions announced include:
- Gross misconduct proceedings against a sergeant for supervision failures and a constable for failing to carry out basic inquiries
- Gross misconduct proceedings against two police constables for allegedly failing to conduct adequate house searches and providing dishonest accounts
- Misconduct proceedings against a constable who allegedly failed to carry out a house search adequately and a sergeant who allegedly failed to review all available information
Derrick Campbell, IOPC director, stated: 'Our thoughts and sympathies remain with the young people who tragically lost their lives, those who were left seriously injured and everyone affected by this incident.'
Deputy Chief Constable Nicky Brain of Gwent Police acknowledged the impact on families and confirmed the force would now proceed with arranging the necessary misconduct hearings.
