Cardiff car crash: 'Public distress' over police handling

Eve Smith, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Darcy Ross, 21, died in the collision

There is a great deal of public distress over the police handling of a car crash in which three people died, a Plaid Cymru politician has said.

The three were found in a car which had come off a major road early on Saturday morning. They had been reported missing almost two days earlier.

Senedd member Peredur Owen Griffiths said the "disquiet" from families of the victims cannot be ignored.

He said police prioritisation processes for missing persons needed to improve.

Two other people in the crash, who were also reported missing, were taken to hospital critically injured.

Police have previously said they cannot comment while an investigation is pending.

The South Wales and Gwent police forces were asked for a response to the Senedd proceedings.

• Balloons and fireworks at vigil for crash victims

Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, died in the collision after the crash on the A48 after a night out in Newport.

Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, remain in a critical condition.

Ms Russon's mother Anna Certowicz has said police "didn't seem to think it was worth investigating", when the five people were reported missing.

Raising the matter in the Welsh Parliament on Wednesday, the South Wales East Member of the Senedd said: "There's been a great deal of public distress following the crash".

"You cannot ignore the public disquiet from the families and the friends of the crash victims", he added.

He quoted comments on BBC Wales by Winston Roddick, the former Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales, on the police response.

Mr Roddick had said he was surprised about the lack of action by police, given reports that the phones and social media of the people involved had been inactive between their disappearance until they were found.

Mr Griffiths asked what input the Welsh government could have into improving police prioritising processes for missing persons to "ensure incidents like this can be avoided in the future".

Social Justice Minister Jane Hutt said both Gwent and South Wales Police had referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, who would "look at exactly what happened".

"We just have to recognise that extraordinary public grief that was expressed in the vigil for victims that took place at the site of the crash last night," she said.

Describing the crash as a "devastating tragedy", she said: "My thoughts remain with the families and the friends of the young people involved in the crash on the A48.

"This will be an extraordinarily difficult time for all affected by this terrible incident."

Senedd Presiding Officer Elin Jones said she remembered watching Rafel Jeanne in the same team as her nephew in primary school.

He was "such a young fast talent on the rugby field", she said.

"And on behalf of us all in the centre of our sympathies are with the friends and families of Eve, Darcy and Rafel, and our hopes are with Sophie and Shane for a full recovery," she said.