Three Yorkshire teenagers killed as crash tears car in half

Three teenagers died in a horrific accident in South Yorkshire when their car was torn in half after it skidded off the road and smashed into a tree.

Police have said none of the teenagers from the Doncaster area were old enough to drive and last night issued an appeal to young drivers about safety. The tragedy follows a crash a month ago only four miles away when three teenagers were also killed.

The victims were last night named as Antonia Browne, 14, from Balby, Michael Gallagher, 16, from Warmsworth, and Tom Hughes, 15, from Bessacarr. They were killed when their Honda Civic smashed into a tree after leaving the road near a water tower on the A630 between Conisbrough and Warmsworth, near Doncaster, at around 4.30am yesterday.

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The impact was so severe that the car, which belonged to a relative of one of the teenagers, split in two.

Yesterday friends of the victims laid tributes at the scene. Devon Cairns, 15, said Antonia, a pupil at McAuley Catholic High School in Balby, had been due to celebrate her 15th birthday soon.

“She was always smiling and she will never be forgotten. She was a really popular girl,” she said.

“I just burst into tears as soon as I heard about it. We can’t believe she’s gone.”

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Michael Gallagher, who had been driving, was cut free by firefighters from the front of the car.The other two victims were released from the rear passenger seat. The victims were taken to Doncaster Royal Infirmary, where they were pronounced dead. Police have appealed for witnesses and are studying closed circuit TV to investigate the cause of the accident.

Station manager Jon Torn at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, said he had also been at the scene of the previous accident near Mexborough.

He said: “When I arrived and saw it was another three teenagers at this crash my heart sank. I can’t even imagine what the poor parents are going through.

“There aren’t bad kids. It’s just when you take charge of a car, you are in charge of a lethal weapon.”

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Chief Supt Keith Lumley, of South Yorkshire Police, said the car was heading towards Warmsworth when it failed to negotiate a left hand bend in the 60mph road.

He said: “The driver was only 16 so was unlicensed and would have been very inexperienced. For some reason he lost control of the vehicle and it has hit the tree across the road.

“It may appear that it was excess speed but actually it was the weakest part of the vehicle that struck the tree.

“It appears that it was a side on impact to the vehicle, on the passenger side.

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“We have been trying very hard to work with teenage groups to get them involved in driver improvement and awareness and to stress the dangers of driving fast.

“I think kids just want to have freedom and they want to be able to drive, but no more so in this area than anywhere else. Tragically on this occasion it looks like the message has not got through.”

On December 27 three teenagers were killed in a crash as they tried to overtake near Mexborough.

Witnesses to the latest tragedy are asked to call police on 0114 220 2970.