Bedside vigil for couple in holiday crash horror

The young victim, named locally as two-year-old Oisin Twomey, died and his father Con – “Connie” – and mother Elber were critically injured while holidaying in the UK.

The family, from Meelin, Kanturk, Co Cork, were expecting a second child which also died in the high-speed crash in Torquay, Devon, on Friday afternoon.

A Polish man in his 20s, who was driving the second car, was arrested at the scene but later died. Police said it appeared a black Vectra driven by the Polish man went down a hill and swerved into the path of the family’s oncoming car.

The crash was witnessed by a police officer who was immediately on the scene and because of this the matter has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, though it was not the case that the officer’s police car had been pursuing either vehicle.

The parents and siblings of Mr and Mrs Twomey flew to the UK on Friday when the news broke.

The road was closed for more than 10 hours while the vehicles were recovered and forensic examinations took place.

Twenty-five emergency service vehicles attended the incident, along with three air ambulances.

Mr Twomey, 39, was taken by ambulance to Derriford Hospital, while Mrs Twomey and Oisin were taken to Torbay Hospital by air ambulance. Both parents have undergone surgery.