Irish teenager Iceland crash

An 18-year-old Irish woman has died alongside two young Icelanders following a devastating single-vehicle crash near Reykjavík.

Hannah Jane Large, from Greystones in Co Wicklow, was one of three young people who lost their lives after the vehicle they were travelling in left Krýsuvíkurvegur in southwest Iceland.

The tragedy happened shortly after midnight in the Krýsuvíkurvegur area, south of the Icelandic capital.

Hannah has since been remembered by her family as a young woman who had developed a deep affection for Iceland and who had been extremely happy during her final days there.

Three young lives lost

The two other people who died have been named in Icelandic media as Arndís Halla Guðlaugsdóttir, aged 16, and Benjamín Guðmundsson, aged 20.

Local reports say all three were travelling in the same vehicle when it left the road. Emergency services attended, but the three young occupants died.

Icelandic authorities are now working to establish exactly what happened.

The Capital Region Police and Iceland’s Transport Safety Investigation Board are investigating the circumstances surrounding the collision.

Some Icelandic media reports have suggested excessive speed is among the factors being examined, but the investigation remains ongoing and an official conclusion on the cause of the crash has not yet been announced.

Hannah had fallen in love with Iceland

As news of the tragedy reached Ireland, Hannah’s mother, Sam Large, shared a deeply moving tribute to her daughter.

Responding to a message of condolence from Icelandic President Halla Tómasdóttir, she explained that Hannah had fallen in love with Iceland, its people and the life she had discovered there.

Her mother said the family had spoken to Hannah on the night of the tragedy and that she had been “full of joy”.

She also described Hannah’s final few days in Iceland as among the happiest of her life — something the devastated family is now holding onto following her death.

Local reporting from Greystones has described Reykjavík as Hannah’s “happy place”, with news of her death sending shockwaves through her home community in Co Wicklow.

Iceland’s President sends condolences

President Halla Tómasdóttir publicly expressed her sympathy to the families and friends of all three young people.

In her message following the crash, the President reflected on the fragility of life and urged people to take care of one another.

The tragedy has also been deeply felt in Iceland, where memorial gatherings have been held following the deaths of the young Icelandic victims.

Flowers and tributes have been placed close to the scene of the collision.

Irish officials assisting Hannah’s family

Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that it is aware of the case and is providing consular assistance.

Hannah was just 18 years old and came from Greystones, a coastal town in Co Wicklow.

What should have been a happy visit to a country she had grown to love has instead ended in an unimaginable tragedy for three families in Ireland and Iceland.

Investigations into the circumstances of the collision are continuing.

Our thoughts are with Hannah’s family and friends, and with the families and loved ones of Arndís and Benjamín, following the loss of three young lives.