Two teenagers were killed in a tragic car crash on their way to prom after a reckless driver ignored repeated pleas to slow down.
Kiea McCann, 17, and Dlava Mohamed, 16, were traveling in a vehicle with family friend Anthony McGinn, 61, when the fatal collision occurred.
McGinn, who was driving, was speeding when he lost control and veered off the road. Kiea and Dlava were killed when the car crashed into a tree in County Monaghan, Ireland, in July 2023.
According to The Sun, the two girls were on their way to their formal—another term for a high school prom—and should have been looking forward to a night to remember.
Instead, the evening ended in tragedy following the crash, which occurred after McGinn had been asked multiple times to slow down.
Both girls, along with a friend in the front passenger seat, Oisin Clerkin, reportedly urged the driver to reduce his speed, but he ignored them. Clerkin later told the court how frightened he felt as the car sped along the country roads, adding that Kiea also appeared visibly scared. Before McGinn lost control, the car was reportedly traveling at 94 mph—nearly double the 50 mph speed limit for that road.
Heartbreakingly, reports state that both girls died at the scene, side by side, holding hands.
Dlava’s sister, Avin Mohamed, was also in the car at the time of the crash. Her injuries were so severe that she did not learn of her sister’s death until several months later.
Avin also struggled with feelings of guilt, as she had invited Dlava to the prom. She remembers little of the crash, having suffered significant memory loss related to the incident.
Earlier this year, in May, McGinn was sentenced to seven years in prison after admitting to dangerous driving that caused the deaths of the teenagers.
Kiea’s mother, Teresa McCann, said: “Seven years—that’s the justice here. Two beautiful girls. This is what we got today.
“There is no justice for this. My child’s life is gone and never coming back.”
During sentencing, the judge emphasized that McGinn—considered a family friend of the McCann family—had “shown an extraordinary breach of that trust.”
He added that McGinn intended “to drive at a grossly excessive speed,” despite repeated pleas from both Kiea and Dlava to slow down.
The court also heard that Kiea’s father arrived at the scene and performed CPR on both girls before emergency services arrived.
Rest in peace, Kiea McCann and Dlava Mohamed—two lives taken far too soon.
