‘A beautiful angel’ – tributes paid to teenage girl (15) killed in Wicklow road crash

The young girl died after the car in which she was a passenger crashed near Slaney Park in Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, shortly before 5am on Sunday.

Friends paid tribute to Molly after news of her death broke in the local community, with one describing her as a “beautiful angel”.

“Such sad news this morning in Baltinglass. Heartbroken for all the Dempsey family. Rest in peace, Molly, you will always be remembered. Watch over all your family at this heartbreaking time,” a friend wrote in a tribute.

“Rest in peace, little Molly, taken way too soon, heaven has gained another beautiful angel,” another tribute read, while a third person paying tribute said: “The saddest news ever to wake up to... a young local girl’s life taken,” before pleading, “please be careful on the roads, we never know what’s around the next bend… my sincere condolences to the Dempsey family. RIP Molly.”

Funeral details for the teenager have yet to be confirmed.

Molly is the 70th person to lose their life on Irish roads this year – 17 more than at this point last year. She is the third person to have been killed in a road accident in Wicklow so far this year.

An Irish Independent analysis has found just four counties have not had a fatal road crash so far this year.

Molly was a passenger of the only car involved in the crash on Sunday morning and was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders.

A post-mortem examination will be conducted in the coming days.

The driver of the car, a male teenager who was not seriously injured in the collision, was arrested on suspicion of offences under the Road Traffic Act.

He was detained at a garda station in Wicklow under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 and has since been released from custody.

“Investigations are ongoing and a file will be prepared for the DPP,” a garda spokesperson said.

Gardaí continue to appeal for any witnesses to this collision to come forward.

A garda spokesperson said: “Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam footage) and were travelling in the Slaney Park area between 4.30am and 5am are asked to make this footage available to gardaí.”​