A tribute has been paid to two British women who died in a multi-vehicle crash in Romania while on a rescue mission to transport dogs to a new home in France. The women, aged 41 and 61, were pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
The fatal collision involved two lorries, a van, and the minibus the women were travelling in. The crash occurred on Thursday around 11am on the DN6 national road just outside Vălișoara village in Caraș-Severin county, western Romania.
Crash details
Police enquiries revealed the UK-registered minibus went on the wrong side of the road and crashed head-on into a lorry registered in Romania, whose driver was injured. The lorry then hit another HGV, also registered in Romania, trapping the minibus between them. A van travelling behind the second lorry was also involved.
The minibus was carrying 10 dogs, eight of which were killed. The two women's bodies had to be extricated from the minibus by firefighters.
Tribute from close friend
Allison Condon and Rachael Harvey-Purkiss' close friend Claire Dalton expressed her heartbreak at the loss of her 'soul sisters'. She posted on Facebook: "I'm heartbroken... but there are others feeling much worse than me. This breaks my heart more than anything."
Dalton continued: "I lost two amazing and beautiful people yesterday in a collision on a Romanian motorway and life will never be the same and I was lucky enough to call them good friends. They were on a rescue mission that was to move 10 of our rescues to safety in France. The most fun, bouncy, full of life, beautiful hearted people I have ever met and I loved them very much."
Friends' grief
Dalton added: "They truly were my soul sisters. They were the friends who were simply there — through the good days, the difficult days and all the moments when I wondered how I could possibly carry on. Alison and Rachel were making this incredible journey for one reason: because they cared. They wanted to save dogs and they wanted to make sure they were safe, loved and given the very best chance at a new life in France."
She said: "And now I am grieving for my beautiful friends and for the precious dogs we have lost. I simply cannot comprehend what has happened."
Allison's daughter Sammie originally posted on Facebook after she was concerned her mum wasn't answering any calls and found out there had been a crash on the road. Dalton said: "My heart breaks for Alison and Rachel’s families. I cannot begin to imagine the pain they are going through right now. Sammy has lost her mum, and there are families and people who loved Alison and Rachel whose lives have changed forever in the most unimaginable way."
She concluded: "This was supposed to be a journey of hope. None of us could ever have imagined that it would end like this."
