Hit and run victim ‘saved her children’
A Cardiff vicar calls on the community not to seek revenge for the hit and run rampage, as police are granted more time to question a 31-year-old man over the fatal traffic collisions.
Hundreds of people gathered to share their grief at a church and prayer service which paid tribute to the victims of a series of hit and run collisions in Cardiff.
Mother of three, Karina Menzies [pictured below], died and four adults and five children remain in hospital after the driver of a white van went on a rampage through the streets of the Welsh capital on Friday afternoon.
At special church service at the Church of Resurrection in Ely, Cardiff, Reverend Jan Gould called on her congregation, many of whom were weeping during the hymns and readings, not to resort to “revenge”.
“Whether we’ve personally known one or more of the victims of Friday’s terrible events, or whether we are here as a member of this community simply wanting to show solidarity, there can be no one who has not been profoundly affected by what has happened here this week,” she said.
The brother of 32-year-old Karina Menzies said she died trying to save the lives of her children. Describing the moment the van careered towards them, he said: “He went through the traffic, aimed for them and then just hit them head on.
She was a good friend to everyone and was well thought of in the community. She will be sorely missed by everyone. Karina Menzies’ family
“She just screamed and threw them out of the way as much as she could. He still clipped them but she took it head-on. She saved their lives,” he told BBC5 Live.
Candles and flowers continue to be left at the crash site outside the fire station on Cowbridge Road West where Ms Menzies was killed.
In a statement, her family said: “She was a good friend to everyone and was well thought of in the community. She will be sorely missed by everyone.”
– The first incident to be reported was in Crossways Road in Ely at 3.30pm on Friday
– A series of hit and run collisions were then reported in the west of the city, including Grand Avenue, Cowbridge Road West and Leckwith Retail Park
– A total of 14 people were injured in the crashes
Weapon search
South Wales Police were last night granted a further 36 hours to detain and question a 31-year-old man. Detective Superintendent Paul Hurley said the suspect carried a weapon and left the Iveco van to physically assault people.
Police are looking to identify and recover the weapon, which was believed to be a crook lock, he said. A key part of the inquiry is focused on establishing who owns the white van.
There were also unconfirmed reports that police were investigating whether the driver was involved in a domestic incident before the rampage.
More than 70 officers are working on the investigation, studying CCTV footage and taking witness statements to help build a picture of what happened.
Daughter on holiday
Among those paying their respects at the crash site yesterday was local Labour MP Kevin Brennan.
“It’s absolutely shocking what has happened and the fact that someone has appeared to use a vehicle as a weapon,” he said. “Karina was a well-liked mother who had three children. One of her children is disabled and is currently on a dream holiday in Florida. This incident is beyond senseless and has rocked the whole community.”
The A&E department at the University Hospital of Wales was initially shut to anyone not involved in the incident but reopened later.
Dr Grahame Shortland, medical director at the hospital, said those being treated mostly had fractures and head injuries. Two adults are described as being in a critical, but stable condition.