An officer investigating a horror crash which left three young people dead and two injured has been served a misconduct notice by the police watchdog. Eve Smith and Darcy Ross, both 21, died alongside Rafel Jeanne, 24, after the car they were travelling crashed off the A48 near St Mellons, Cardiff.
Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, miraculously survived the crash despite officers taking almost two days to find them. Worried friends and family of the group had issued desperate appeals for help to find the five pals, who went missing after a night out in Newport.
The tragic smash is believed to have happened in the early hours of Saturday of March 4 with the vehicle found early on Monday, March 6. Both South Wales Police and Gwent Police referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over their handling of the case.
On Thursday, the watchdog confirmed one Gwent Police officer had been served with a misconduct notice over their “review of the missing persons’ logs and relevant risk assessments". They added: "We are also considering whether the age of the missing persons impacted on the officer’s decision-making.
"Such notices advise an officer they are subject to investigation and are kept under review. They do not necessarily mean that any disciplinary proceedings will follow", WalesOnline reports.
The statement from the watchdog also provided a broader overview of their ongoing investigation. It said: "We are gathering statements from relevant police personnel involved including officers who attended the collision scene, those who took the missing person reports, control room staff, and officers who reviewed and determined the risk assessment gradings for the reports.
“We are reviewing internal communication between the police officers and staff identified as being involved along with CCTV from relevant police stations. We are speaking to the National Police Air Service about the involvement of a police helicopter during the search.
"We are considering the missing person policies of both Gwent Police and South Wales Police along with relevant national police guidance. Investigators have met with the families to understand the contact they had with police and the situation they encountered at the collision scene."
IOPC director David Ford added: "Our thoughts and sympathies remain with the families and friends of those who tragically lost their lives and to those who were left seriously injured by this incident. We know that the awful events which unfolded across the weekend in early March have impacted many in the local community.
"Our investigators have met with all the families involved and we are in contact with them on a regular basis to keep them updated on the progress of our investigation. IOPC staff have also met with a number of local community leaders and elected officials to explain our role and the scope of our investigation.
"We have gathered a significant amount of evidence since our investigation began and we will ensure that our investigation continues to be thorough and timely. While we are investigating an officer for potential misconduct it is only at the end of our investigation once we have established all the facts that we will make a decision as to whether the officer has any case to answer."
The IOPC investigation is examining both Gwent and South Wales Police’s response to the missing person reports made between Saturday, March 4, and Sunday, March 5. In particular they say they are investigating:
the actions and decisions of the police officers and control room staff dealing with the missing person reports up to the discovery of the vehicle and the five missing persons;
whether the missing person reports were appropriately risk assessed, reviewed, and resourced;
whether police action was in accordance with the relevant legislation and local and national guidance, policies, and procedures regarding missing persons, and;
the contact and communication between the police and the families of the deceased and injured missing persons before the vehicle was discovered.
The statement concluded: "The investigation will also aim to establish whether the actions or inactions of the two police forces contributed to the deaths and serious injuries sustained in the incident."
Hundreds of people attended the funerals for the three young people who died in the crash. Miss Smith was described as "brave, courageous, talented and beautiful". Mr Jeanne, 24, a former pupil at Ysgol Glantaf, was described as a "joyful pupil, full of life and energy at school, popular and a very sincere friend."
A boxing event raised almost £30,000 for the families of the three young women involved in the crash. Survivor Ms Russon attended the event at The Neon venue in Newport. Organiser Mark Brogan said the way the community came together was "amazing".
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