LAST UPDATE | 26 Aug 2024

A TEENAGER KILLED in a road crash in Co Donegal has been named locally as Kian Dawson.

The 16-year-old, from Carnhill in Derry, died in the single-vehicle collision on the R240 at Cross, Quigley’s Point at 11.15pm on Saturday.

The driver of the car, a man aged in his 20s, was seriously injured and is in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.

“There’s huge sadness and shock right across the city as the news emerged yesterday of those involved in the fatal collision, and they were Derry boys, two cousins, and sadly, tragically young Kian has lost his life,” said Derry MLA Mark Durkan on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland today.

“There’s been a huge outpouring of sadness, of grief and of solidarity with Kian’s family from the Derry public,” he said.

“He seems to have been an extremely popular boy. He was involved in sport. He was a popular and important member of a local soccer club, Don Boscos.

“In Derry here we have a very big soccer community, there are fierce rivalries, but there’s a lot of respect between clubs and across clubs, and you can see that emerging overnight.”

Durkan said that more and more people have been “coming forward with their memories of him and their deep sadness at his loss”.

Don Boscos said that Kian, who had been a member since he was five, and his father, who is a coach at the club, have been “an integral part” of the organisation for many years.

It said that all club activities were to be called off for a week as a mark of respect for the family.

“Our hearts are sore today,” it said in a statement on Facebook.

“Kian was the most genuine, well-mannered and unassuming young lad you could meet.

“He was a credit to Don Boscos but more importantly to his mum and dad, Fiona and Emmett.

“Kian will be forever remembered by his coaches, teammates and friends at Don Boscos.

“We are also thinking of you all at this heartbreaking time.”

The club issued its deepest condolences to Kian’s parents, sister, and wider family.

Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward, particularly those with camera or dashcam footage from the area around the time of the incident.