The family of a young girl killed in a horror crash in Co Cork have issued a heartbreaking statement.
Kimberley O'Connor - one of four siblings - was a transition year student at Terence MacSwiney Community College, Hollyhill.
She died after the car she was travelling in crashed on Harbour View Road, Knocknaheeny on Wednesday night, Cork Beo reports.
The driver of the car, 16, fled the scene on foot but later presented himself at CUH with non-life threatening injuries - two back seat passengers, boys aged 17, are also in hospital where their conditions are described as serious and life-threatening.
Kimberley's devastated family today spoke of their grief, saying; "our lives are shattered today and it's difficult to put into words how we are feeling".
The statement - signed by her grieving mother Jennifer Haynes - adds; "We are grateful for the support of our family, neighbours her teacher, our local priest and the community at large".
"We pray for those who are injured and thank the emergency services for attending to the accident last night, and ask for all your prayers at this very sad time."
"Our Kimberly had a bright future, and was a very kind and generous person, who was loved by so many people".
Earlier today, Kimberley was described as a "beautiful" and "kind" girl by her school principal Phil O'Flynn, who told Redfm: "Kimberley was a leading light of our school, her bright bubbly personality, she was just infectious, a very special human being who will be so sorely missed by her classmates, by the rest of our school and the teachers who she always had that word for you.
"The interaction was always there, we had such fun really, I think if there was one word to sum her up she was such a fun person."
Students at the school are being offered support and counselling by teachers after they learned the tragic news. The school will reopen tomorrow morning as teachers felt that the children would want to be together to be able to deal with their grief as a community.
