Teen best friends die 'hand in hand' on roadside after driver ignores pleas to slow down

A motorist who sped at more than twice the speed limit and , resulting in the deaths of two teenage girls, ignored their pleas to "slow down”.

Anthony McGinn, 61, was put in a “position of trust” to drive best friends Kiea McCann, 17, and Dlava Mohamed, 16, as well as her sister, Avin, to a ball in . However during the ride there McGinn drove at more than 90mph in a 50mph zone on a wet road and crashed into a tree on a section of the N54 at Legnakelly.. The accident killed Keia and Dlava, and seriously injured Avin.

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The reported McGinn will be sentenced next week after pleading guilty dangerous driving and dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm. Monaghan Circuit Court was shown dashcam footage from a vehicle travelling behind of the moment of the accident. Distraught family and friends let out gasps and became visibly upset and left the courtroom for a time.

Inspector Lardner said McGinn was arrested in December 2023. In a memo of interviews, he said he didn’t remember overtaking a vehicle and didn’t know if he was speeding.

When the dashcam was shown to him by Inspector Lardner, McGinn said: “I wouldn’t have a clue how fast I was going. Jesus, I have no answer.

“I see my car sliding. I don’t know what speed I was doing.”

Dlava’s sister Avin - who suffered severe injuries in the crash - said the crash changed her life forever. She said: “My sister came with me as I had no-one else to come.

“Anthony began speeding. I remember I got angry and told him to stop. Then everything went black.

“My family couldn’t tell me. It broke me. I lost my sister and best friend.

“I had to build my entire life from scratch and I will never be whole again. I am carrying the guilt I cannot shake because I asked my sister to come along. If only I went alone.”

In victim impact statements read out by Inspector Lardner from family members, Dlava’s dad Mohammed said his daughter was ‘a piece of his heart’ and he will carry the pain of her loss for the rest of his life.

In a statement to Gardaí, front seat passenger Oisin Clerkin said “All I know is he was speeding and playing music. I told him to slow down. He didn’t reply. He was driving really fast and it scared me. None of the girls said anything. Kiea looked scared. I said ‘Goodbye’ to Kiea and I woke up in hospital.”

In her statement, Kiea’s mother Teresa said she had trusted McGinn to “take my child safe” to the Debs ball. She added: “When we got to the scene, Kiea was already gone. Her dad tried CPR on her. Nothing would bring her back.

“Kiea and her best friend were robbed of their lives. They were put side by side holding hands on the grass as me and my husband lay beside them.” She added Kiea’s 18th birthday present was her headstone.

Counsel for McGinn, Breffni Gordon, said in mitigation McGinn entered an early guilty plea, was very seriously injured, expressed genuine remorse and formally apologised to the families and friends of Kiea and Dlava.

Judge John Aylmer adjourned sentencing until next Wednesday, May 14 at 10am.