Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Newport Car Crash

127 replies

RedEyeBaby · 06/03/2023 19:01

I am very saddened to read of the death of three friends from Newport, and of the horror of the other two sitting in the car next to their dead friends for two days and nights.

I'm not sure why the police were unable to act faster - surely there is a window for life with a missing person, and the faster they are found, after going missing for whatever reason, the better.

The police suggested to one of the mums that they would turn up with hangovers. All five of them? Really?

I seem to remember things being better than this in the past, but perhaps it varies by force. But why should that be? I saw a thread on here over the weekend about this, before they were found and some posters suggested a car accident. It would have been so easy to send some patrols out on likely routes. I can't help but think that they might all have survived if found faster. 46 hours is just hellish to wait.

So I wanted to ask as many of you who would want to, to get one of the free family tracking apps on your phone. I have life 360 and when I broke down at night in the snow in the middle of nowhere, with two babies in the back, and I called the police, they were very uninterested. My parents found me on the app and were there within an hour, and they would have done so if i was unconscious. After 46 hours my phone would have run out of charge, but if those young people had had something like this, who knows, it may have turned out differently.

I guess my aibu is to ask if aibu to think it could save lives to use such an app. It's free and obviously there is no benefit to me, it's not my app.

OP posts:
drpet49 · 06/03/2023 21:40

DogInATent · 06/03/2023 21:34

If you saw a car in a ditch at the side of the road on the way into work in the morning and it looked like it had been there all night, what would you do?

What would you really do - what would you have done last week before this story broke?

Probably nothing because I would assume it had already been reported and was awaiting recovery.

Mirabai · 06/03/2023 21:41

Kedece2410 · 06/03/2023 21:34

The family members quoted in The press before the car was found felt the police did not appreciate the gravity of the situation

I think 2 forces, numerous officers, media appeals shows that they did appreciate it was a serious situation

According to the mother of one of the girls, the police really didn’t take it seriously until last night when they called her up and wanted to take details. The sudden interest seems to have coincided with the story hitting the national media.

So I can understand why the parents would be upset with the police.

RecoIIectionsMayVary · 06/03/2023 21:42

It isn't proportional.

The benefits vs the intrusion isn't worth it.

RedEyeBaby · 06/03/2023 21:43

BooksAndHooks · 06/03/2023 21:38

If you don’t want to be tracked. If you have up to date iPhone software and an eligible handset you can switch on the option for crash detection, if the phone detects a crash and doesn’t get a response from you it will auto call emergency services with your location. If there is no signal it will connect via satellite. Worth checking if this option is available on your phone and checking you have it switched on.

This is a good idea!

OP posts:
Picoloangel · 06/03/2023 21:44

Years ago, 2 young lads from our area went missing and were missing for weeks. Their car had gone off the road in to a river and wasn’t found until the water level dropped. Dozens of police and members of the public had been engaged in searching for them. It was horrendous but I was always glad that they were found and that their families had some closure.

RunningFromInsanity · 06/03/2023 21:46

drpet49 · 06/03/2023 21:40

Probably nothing because I would assume it had already been reported and was awaiting recovery.

Same. And I’m sure many others would too.

zorgoid · 06/03/2023 21:48

RiktheButler · 06/03/2023 20:08

Is your post about tracking apps or an unnecessary attack on the Police?

Unclear

RecoIIectionsMayVary · 06/03/2023 21:50

RunningFromInsanity · 06/03/2023 21:46

Same. And I’m sure many others would too.

I would and have reported. I don't report if the blue and white police aware tape is visible, otherwise I report.

steff13 · 06/03/2023 21:50

Zone2NorthLondon · 06/03/2023 20:14

A car can be concealed by flora and fauna, hidden from view in urban area
Lets see what emerges
Dreadful accident, with fatalities and critically ill survivors

Like, hedgehogs and stuff?

zorgoid · 06/03/2023 21:53

Can people just not speculate and not try to piggy back on a tragedy to sell an app.

Toptotoe · 06/03/2023 21:58

I think some of the delay will have been because the passengers were reported missing to South Wales Police and they were found just within the Gwent police area - this can sometimes effect the efficiency of an investigation especially if it was not considered serious by the person who recorded the incident.

PurplePansy05 · 06/03/2023 22:03

I think St Mellons is under SWP as part of Cardiff, but Gwent was looking for the girls who were reported first as missing from Newport.

OneFrenchEgg · 06/03/2023 22:14

*If you saw a car in a ditch at the side of the road on the way into work in the morning and it looked like it had been there all night, what would you do?

What would you really do - what would you have done last week before this story broke?*

Time and again I have proved myself to be an interfering do gooder so I would (assuming no police tape or other people) probably slow down, pull in somewhere and walk back. If I couldn't check it I'd ring the police asap.

kierenthecommunity · 06/03/2023 22:45

I can't help but think that they might all have survived if found faster

You have literally no reason to come to this conclusion based on the limited information that’s been made available.

OldFan · 06/03/2023 22:59

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

OldFan · 06/03/2023 23:02

I can't help but think that they might all have survived if found faster

You have literally no reason to come to this conclusion based on the limited information that’s been made available.

Well, if the two that got out alive had been left longer in a critical condition, they would've died at the scene too. Earlier intervention helps a lot of people in a critical condition stand more chance of recovery. Unless the others died absolutely immediately, the same could be true of them.

helpfulperson · 07/03/2023 07:04

If I see a car upside down in a ditch or similar then yes I would check for a 'police aware' yellow sticker or blue tape if I could. A few years ago I climbed a gate into a field to check for a casualty when there was a motorbike in a ditch.

Some cars now have technology that sends a location if they crash., which is a much better idea than tracking individuals.

Mirabai · 07/03/2023 09:46

kierenthecommunity · 06/03/2023 22:45

I can't help but think that they might all have survived if found faster

You have literally no reason to come to this conclusion based on the limited information that’s been made available.

From the comments of the parent of one of the young people involved (Sophie), it seems that the police assumed the 5 of them were still out on the razzle. Sophie’s mother has specifically stated they could have potentially been found much more quickly if the police had started searching straight away. Her DD was trapped in the car for 2 days with serious injuries. It was not the police that found the car but a member of the public who joined the search.

So there are absolutely question marks over the police approach, and whether any of the others could have survived had they been found earlier. I assume that’s why the police have already referred themselves for investigation.

Sallydimebar · 07/03/2023 10:45

Mirabai · 07/03/2023 09:46

From the comments of the parent of one of the young people involved (Sophie), it seems that the police assumed the 5 of them were still out on the razzle. Sophie’s mother has specifically stated they could have potentially been found much more quickly if the police had started searching straight away. Her DD was trapped in the car for 2 days with serious injuries. It was not the police that found the car but a member of the public who joined the search.

So there are absolutely question marks over the police approach, and whether any of the others could have survived had they been found earlier. I assume that’s why the police have already referred themselves for investigation.

It also says sadly the others died on impact and all cases as serious as this are automatically passed on for investigation.

Sadly I think as all adults despite what might not be classed as not normal behaviour by parents, police would not be overly concerned for the first 24hrs .

RecoIIectionsMayVary · 07/03/2023 10:49

It also says sadly the others died on impact and all cases as serious as this are automatically passed on for investigation.

Currently this is assumption not facts.

RecoIIectionsMayVary · 07/03/2023 10:52

Sorry meant to quote it all

Sadly I think as all adults despite what might not be classed as not normal behaviour by parents, police would not be overly concerned for the first 24hrs

3/5 (once they knew about the men) people all stop communicating at 2am and then nothing, I disagree the police should have taken it on a case by case basis, and this was unusual

Mirabai · 07/03/2023 11:59

Sallydimebar · 07/03/2023 10:45

It also says sadly the others died on impact and all cases as serious as this are automatically passed on for investigation.

Sadly I think as all adults despite what might not be classed as not normal behaviour by parents, police would not be overly concerned for the first 24hrs .

“It” being what? There’s been no PM yet so it’s impossible to say who died of what. Two are still in critical condition in hospital.

MarmaladeFatkins · 09/03/2023 09:06

first missing person report to police was Saturday afternoon/evening, I think. and they were found Sunday night...a little over 24 hours later. isn't that quite fast to find missing people?

NoFitStateMum · 09/03/2023 15:02

South Wales police have released a timeline saying the first person to be reported missing wasn't called in to Gwent police until 7:34pm on the Sat night with the rest reported over the next 22hrs.

#STATEMENT | South Wales Police is continuing to investigate a fatal road traffic collision on the A48 in the St Mellons area of Cardiff.

Emergency services discovered a Volkswagen Tiguan vehicle at 12.15am on Monday 6th March after the police helicopter, police and fire officers were deployed to the scene.

The families of Rafel Jeanne, Darcy Ross and Eve Smith, who died in the collision, continue to be supported by specialist family liaison officers.

Two further people remain in critical condition at the University Hospital of Wales.

Following initial police investigations into the collision, we can confirm that:

  • The last confirmed sighting of the five people was at 2am on Saturday 4th March in Pentwyn.
  • The collision occurred during the early hours of Saturday 4th March, the exact time to be confirmed by the investigation, including CCTV and ANPR enquiries.
  • The first missing person report was made to Gwent Police at 7.34pm on Saturday 4th March.
  • Further missing person reports were made to Gwent Police at 7.43pm and 9.32pm on Saturday 4th March.
  • A further missing person report was made to South Wales Police at 5.37pm on Sunday 5th March.
  • At 11.50pm on Sunday 5th March the police helicopter was requested to search an area of Cardiff which resulted in a vehicle being located in a wooded area off the A48.
  • Gwent Police officers on the ground had sight of the car (a Volkswagen Tiguan) at 12:02am on Monday 6th March and this culminated in a log being created by South Wales Police at 12:15am.
  • At this stage we believe only one vehicle to be involved.

Assistant Chief Constable Jason Davies of South Wales Police said: “Our thoughts continue to be with the families and all those affected by this tragic incident. Specialist officers are carrying out a detailed investigation to piece together what has happened. Family liaison officers are supporting the families involved at what must be a hugely difficult time for them.”

Full statement here: www.south-wales.police.uk/news/south-wales/news/2023/maw-mar/latest-statement-fatal-rtc-st-mellons-cardiff-joint-statement-from-south-wales-police-and-gwent-police/

MarmaladeFatkins · 09/03/2023 16:31

thanks @NoFitStateMum