'Entire community in complete shock': Two teenagers killed in St Johnston crash

Already dark clouds in the small east Donegal village of St Johnston felt blacker on Wednesday morning after two teenage men lost their lives in a road traffic collision.

The two men, understood to be from Derry, killed were passengers in the vehicle and another man, also in his late teens, who was driving the car, was rushed to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast for treatment of serious injuries. 

One of the young men was pronounced deceased at the scene, while the other died a short time later at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry.

The Donegal Coroner, Dr Denis McCauley, was notified and post-mortem examinations will take place in due course.

They are the first two people to lose their lives on Donegal’s roads in 2026. Nationwide, 25 people have been killed in a total of 23 road traffic collisions nationwide since the turn of the year.

The collision, between a Vauxhall Corsa and a Volvo FH 500 lorry towing a cattle trailer, took place at around 11.15pm on the R236. a part of the main Lifford-Derry road.

Local curarte Fr Damien Nejad attended the scene and administered the Last Rites to one of the young men at the scene.

“It was very, very sad,” Fr Nejad said. “I said a prayer over the body of a young man.”

Mass at St Baithin’s Church in St Johnston this evening will be offered for the deceased man, the seriously injured man and their grieving families.

The head of the Garda Traffic Corps in Donegal, Inspector Sean McDaid, appealed for witnesses to the collision to come forward.

Inspector McDaid said the thoughts of the force are with the bereaved families.

The collision occurred close to the Presbyterian Church and the manse house, at a known blackspot for collisions.

Local Presbyterian Minister Rev Craig Wilson said: “It’s terrible. We have families devastated and the loss of two teenage lives is desperate. We heard the sirens going on Tuesday night.”

The road was closed for a technical examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators, who arrived at around 10.30am on Wednesday.

Local diversions were put in place and a dark cloud hung over the village.

Donegal County Councillor Gary Doherty said the incident was “an absolutely devastating tragedy”.

“Our thoughts, first and foremost, are to the family and friends of the young lads who have lost their lives and also to the other young lad who is in hospital,” the Sinn Féin representative told Donegal Live.

“The entire community in St Johnston and across east Donegal is in complete shock. This was a quiet Tuesday night and people woke up to go to work not thinking that something like this would come to their own doorstep.

“The fact that we are talking about two teenagers losing their lives, the fact that they are so young, makes it even more profound.”

Councillor Doherty said that St Johnston is a “very close knit community” and the tragedy left a dark cloud over the village.

“East Donegal is intertwined with our neighbours in Derry and Tyrone given the proximity and people will know someone connected,” he said. “There are members of our community who know the leds and the sense of shock is just devastating.”

Foyle MP Colum Eastwood said this was a “profound tragedy”. He said: “Today and the days ahead will be unimaginably difficult. But I know that people in Derry and Donegal will offer them every possible support to get through this.”

Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the collision to come forward.

A spokesperson said: “Road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling in the area between 10.45pm and 11.45pm on Tuesday 24th February 2026 are asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardaí.

“Anyone with information is asked to contact Letterkenny Garda Station on (074) 9167100, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.”