Three people have been named locally by their heartbroken loved ones as those who died in a crash in Cardiff. Police were searching for five people who disappeared after a night out in Newport and found three of them dead and two seriously injured. The three women and two men had last been seen in Cardiff in the early hours of Saturday.
Their families and friends issued a number of appeals over the weekend after getting increasingly concerned as time went by without them having had any contact from any of those missing. One family member said that it was "unusual" for them not to have been in touch. Police confirmed their worst fears in the early hours of Monday morning when they confirmed the car they had been travelling in had been found crashed off the A48 near St Mellons. The A48 has been closed in both directions.
Here are the facts released so far on this tragedy.
Tributes as three victims named
Loved ones have named the three victims of the crash as Eve Smith and Darcy Ross, from Maesglas, and Rafel Jeanne, from Cardiff. Sophie Russon and Shane Loughlin remain in a critical condition in hospital.
Tributes have been paid to those who died both at the scene and on social media. Throughout the day on Monday flowers and tributes have been laid at the scene near to where the car was discovered.
One relative of Miss Smith, who is understood to the be sister of Xana Doyle who was killed when a car in which she was a passenger flipped over at 60mph in January 2015, wrote: "I will not comment on anyone other than Eve Smith to confirm that she has been confirmed as deceased. Thank you for your support and shares and I won't be answering messages please allow us some time as a family to digest this terrible news x."
A friend of Miss Ross and Miss Smith wrote: "I don't really have the words right now. Darcy Ross I'm going to miss you little gypsy girl...Eve Smith you were truly a beautiful young girl, who's heart was made of gold just like your sister's."
One tribute to Rafel Jeanne said: "Rip lil raf can’t believe what’s happened gutted for your family and your brother thoughts go out to your family at this devastating time fly high. You can read the full tributes here.
Last sighting in Cardiff
Sophie Russon, 20, Eve Smith, 21, and Darcy Ross, 21, who are all from Newport, were at the Muffler bar and club in Maesglas in Newport on Friday evening before friends believe they headed to Trecco Bay in Porthcawl with Shane Loughlin, 32, and Rafel Jeanne-Actie, 24, from Cardiff, who were also reported missing.
It is believed that they left Porthcawl and headed back to Cardiff where they were last seen around 2am in the Llanedeyrn area of the city. Family and friends said they had not been active on social media since around 2am on Saturday morning.
The weekend timeline
Friday evening - Sophie, Eve, and Darcy, who are all from Newport, were at the Muffler bar and club in Maesglas in Newport. Ms Smith's car was still parked outside the bar on Sunday.
Friday night - Friends believe they headed to Trecco Bay in Porthcawl with Shane Loughlin, 32, and Rafel Jeanne-Actie, 24, who were also reported missing.
Saturday morning - The five were last seen around 2am in the Llanedeyrn area of the city. There were reports that they had left another person home.
Saturday - Relatives became increasingly concerned, saying none of those missing had been seen or heard from since 2am on Saturday and none of them had been active on social media over the weekend.
Sunday - Relatives share pictures of the five missing people asking for help in tracing them. On Sunday afternoon Gwent Police issued a statement saying: "We’re appealing for information to find Sophie Russon, 20, Eve Smith, 21, and Darcy Ross, 21, all from Newport, who have been reported as missing. The three women were last seen on Saturday, March 4, at about 2am in the Llanedeyrn area of Cardiff. They had travelled there from Porthcawl in a VW Tiguan, registration number VE64 YLB, with two men. These two men from Cardiff, Rafel Jeanne, 24 and Shane Loughlin, 32, have also been reported as missing. Anyone with any information on their whereabouts is asked to call us on 101 or send us a direct message on social media, quoting 2300071791. All five are also urged to get in touch with us to confirm that they are safe and well."
Monday morning - Gwent Police confirmed they had found the VW Tiguan and that it had crashed on the A48 at St Mellons. They confirmed the tragic news that three people in the car were dead and two had been seriously injured. The road was closed in both directions as investigations are carried out at the scene.
Family appeals over the weekend
Family and friends were desperately concerned over the weekend and had made several appeals for help in finding the five. They had contacted police who said the three missing women had travelled to Llanedeyrn from Porthcawl in a VW Tiguan, registration number VE64 YLB, with two men.
At around 4.35am on Monday, Gwent Police said the VW Tiguan had been recovered just after midnight in the St Mellons area of Cardiff. They confirmed the tragic news that three people had been found dead and two seriously injured. No further details have been released but specialist police officers are supporting the families.
Police appeal for information
Police believe the car was involved in a road traffic collision and came off the A48. It is the main road that leads from Llanedeyrn to Newport where the missing women lived.
The A48 at St Mellons was closed near the garden centre on Monday as investigations continue at the scene. Gwent Police are leading the investigation, but are being assisted by South Wales Police. A statement from South Wales Police at 8am on Monday morning said: "We are at the scene of an ongoing incident on the roundabout that joins Eastern Avenue with Newport Road and the A48 in Cardiff. The road is currently closed in all directions. It is expected to remain closed for some time."
The case has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct in line with normal procedures. Officers are appealing for anyone with information to call police on 101, or send a direct message on social media, quoting 2300071791.
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