Daniel Cullen and Caoimhin Porter died in the collision (Image: Joe Boland/North West Newspix)
Two teenagers who died in a horror crash where their car collided with a lorry have been named locally.
Daniel Cullen and Caoimhin Porter, both aged 18 from the Shantallow area of Derry, died in the crash in St Johnston, Co Donegal on Tuesday, Febraury 24 night. The driver of the car, also 18, has been transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast suffering with serious injuries.
The three men were on their way back to Derry after visiting Asda in Stradane when the incident occurred at around 11.15pm on the R236 road.
The Vaxhall Corsa they were in collided with a Volvo FH 500 lorry towing a cattle trailer on the main Lifford-Derry road.
Caoimhin Porter died in the crash along with Daniel Cullen (Image: Joe Boland/North West Newspix)
Following the collision there has been “shock in the area”. Local priest Fr Damien Nejad attended the scene at around 1am 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. There is just shock in the area. It is shocking that this could happen here.”
One of the men was pronounced dead at the scene, with the other passing a short time later at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry.
Derry-based cleric Fr Michael Canny met with the bereaved families on Wednesday. “Their family and their friends are in total shock,” he said. “This is a close knit community that sticks together, but nevertheless their lives are now going to be changed forever. We also pray for the young man in hospital.”
“Our thoughts and the thoughts of most of the people in the city are with the families who are totally devastated to have received this news last night.”
Daniel Cullen (Image: Joe Boland/North West Newspix)
Grief counsellers have been onsite at The Shantallow Community Centre’s Youth Wing to offer support. A spokesperson said: “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with their families and everyone who loves them.”
The crash took place 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.”
Garda Forensic Collision Investigators closed the road for a technical examination after arriving at the scene at around 10.30am on Wednesday. Local diversions were put in place and a dark cloud hung over the village, reported the Irish Mirror.
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 Fein 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.
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“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 added 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.”
Post mortem examinations will take place in due course.
Gardai 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 Gardai.