Newport horror crash survivor 'left hanging' in car wreckage for 2 days is 'unrecognisable', mother says
8 March 2023, 08:02 | Updated: 8 March 2023, 21:07
A survivor of the car crash in Wales that killed three and left two seriously hurt has been left "unrecognisable" by her injuries, her mum has said.
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Sophie Russon, 20, is recovering from surgery to save her life after smashing her skull and suffering a bleed on the brain in the crash, which took place near Cardiff.
Her mother, Anna Cerowicz, has stayed by her daughter's bedside as she struggles for life.
Ms Cerowicz said: “She doesn’t know where she is or what happened.“She had panic attacks throughout the night when she came round so they sedated her.
"She’s in shock and has a lot of injuries. You can't recognise her.”
Mother-of-three Anna, 41, told the Sun that her daughter must have been “petrified” lying stuck in the car for two days before she was rescued by police.
Friends Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21 and Rafel Jeanne, 24, died in the collision, while Shane Loughlin, 32, remains in a critical condition with Ms Russon.
All five been on a night out in Newport when the vehicle is believed to have veered off the A48, near St Mellons, Cardiff.
She added: “She was in the car with bodies all around her, that’s a lot for anybody.
“She was in a small space, cold, scared stiff and not able to reach her mobile phone.”
Ms Cerowicz said she thinks her daughter was burned by her seatbelt and was left hanging in the car after the horror smash, which landed a steep angle in trees.
She said: “There’s no words to describe it. I can’t imagine how long it’s going to take for her to get over this. She’s going to need a lot of support.
“I’m heartbroken for the families of Eve and Darcy. They’ve lost a child at the end of the day, I nearly lost mine.”
Ms Cerowicz said she didn't know how the police had not found the crash for so long.
She said: “Policemen on foot had searched the area but didn’t find anything.
“It was on a main road, next to a roundabout and opposite a garden centre. It doesn’t make sense."She added: "When I got to the scene of the crash there were 40 officers there.
“Where were they on Saturday when I first reported Sophie missing?
”Anna has been left wondering if the three who died could have been saved if they had been reached sooner.
She said: “The police told me they died on impact but the only people who will know that are Sophie and Shane. They are the only witnesses."
Ms Cerowicz had earlier said she called Gwent Police 20 times over the weekend but was told at first she was probably still out enjoying herself.
"I told them that wasn't Sophie. She doesn’t go out on weekend benders.
"No one could reach her on her mobile on social media which she uses all the time. On Sunday the police told me to stop ringing — they weren't annoyed, just dismissive."
Cardiff vigil after killer car crash
The group were eventually found on Monday morning, after going missing in the early hours of Saturday.
Friends, family and well-wishers held a vigil for the crash victims on Tuesday night.
Assistant Chief Constable Jason Davies, of South Wales Police, said: "Our thoughts are with the families of all those affected by this tragic incident.
"To ensure independent oversight, South Wales Police has referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, as is usual in these circumstances."
The IOPC has said it is investigating the incident.
