By Staff Writer
The tragic mother and daughter killed in a horrific crash on the Inishowen peninsula will be laid to rest on Sunday in Carndonagh.
Natalie McLaughlin, who is in her 20s, and her 6-year-old daughter Ella lost their lives following a collision with a van at Glentogher on Wednesday evening.
Ms McLaughlin’s partner, Tyrone Irwin, is still in a serious condition at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry but his injuries are not understood to be life-threatening.
The couple’s other daughter, Rhea Rose (2) was transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital from Altnagelvin for specialist treatment but her injuries are not understood to be life-threatening either.
Little Ella was pronounced dead at the scene while her mother, father and little sister were rushed to the nearest hospital across the border in Derry.
Ms McLaughlin was initially treated at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry but was transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast where she tragically passed away yesterday afternoon as a result of her injuries.
The driver of the van, who is in his late teens, was treated at the scene but his injuries are not understood to be serious.
There were heartbreaking scenes last night when the remains of Ella returned to the family home in Carndonagh.
It is expected a post-mortem examination will be carried out on Natalie’s remains today. She will also return home to be waked alongside her daughter and they will both be laid to rest following funeral Mass in Carn on Sunday.
Wake and funeral arrangements will be published later.
Ms McLaughlin, who was in her 20s, was well-known in her native Carndonagh where she worked as a nurse in a local doctor’s surgery.
She qualified with a Bachelor of Science in Adult Nursing from Ulster University and began working as a Registered Nurse in 2022.
Her parents and Ella’s grandparents, Danny and Joanne, and both extended families are being comforted by friends.