Cardiff crash survivor Shane Loughlin charged with dangerous driving on night of collision

August 22, 2023

One of the survivors of a fatal crash in Cardiff has been charged with dangerous driving and driving while disqualified.

Shane Andrew Loughlin, 32, of the Rumney area of Cardiff, will appear at Cardiff Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The alleged offences occurred on the M4 at around 10pm on 3 March.

South Wales Police say the offences are not connected with the crash that happened later that night at 2.03am.

Driver Rafel Jeanne and passengers Darcy Ross and Eve Smith died in the fatal collision in the early hours of 4 March.

An initial inquest was told the three were declared dead at the scene of the crash.

The hearing was adjourned pending the outcome of further histology and toxicology tests.

The five occupants of the car were not discovered until Monday 6 March, around 46 hours after the crash took place.

The length of time taken by Gwent Police and South Wales Police to find the group is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Officers identified the alleged offences by Loughlin while investigating the fatal collision and police say they involved the same vehicle.

The collision itself happened near the St Mellons area of Cardiff on the A48(M).

A Volkswagon Tiguan veered off a slip road approaching a roundabout and came to rest in some trees.

Sophie Russon - another passenger in the car - also survived the crash.

Read more:
How search for vehicle unfolded
Man who found car was 'best friends' with victim

Court papers seen by Sky News earlier this month revealed the group had been drinking alcohol and inhaling nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, prior to the collision.

Joel Lia, the sixth passenger in the car, was charged with driving the vehicle without a licence or insurance in Porthcawl earlier that evening.

He pleaded guilty to both charges and his case, which was heard in private, was adjourned until 24 August.

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