Vigil for 'critical' Faulkner cousin, 10, after tragic incident for Limerick family on third Sunday in a row

A YOUNG cousin of Scarlett and Jason Faulkner is in a “critical condition” following a road traffic collision that also claimed the life of a teenage boy, Limerick Leader has reported.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has confirmed that a 16-year-old has sadly died following a two vehicle road traffic collision which occurred on the Belfast Road, Nutts Corner, on Sunday morning.

Detective Inspector Stewart, from the Collision Investigation Unit, said police received a report of a collision involving a black Volkswagen Golf and a silver Volkswagen Passat shortly before 8am yesterday.

“Officers attended alongside emergency partners, and a male passenger in the Passat, who was aged 16 and from the Tipperary area, passed away at the scene.

"The driver of the Passat sustained minor injuries, while two other passengers are still in hospital, including a 10-year-old child who remains in a critical condition,” said Det Insp Stewart.

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The driver of the black Golf has been arrested on suspicion of a number of motoring offences, confirmed the detective inspector, who appealed for witnesses to the collision on the outskirts of Belfast to come forward.

The 10-year-old cousin of Jason and Scarlett Faulkner attends a primary school in Limerick city.

Josephine (Joanne) Duffy, the partner of Jason and Scarlett's brother Thomas, said in a video on social media that the little boy is in a critical condition but is holding up well on his own.

She asked God to look over the 16-year-old boy from Tipperary, who has died, and his family.

“They are the nicest people. Please God be with them and help them through this very, very hard, difficult time,” said Josephine.

She said the Faulkner family want as much prayers as possible. 

“If you can pray for the family, if you can light a candle, please, they will really, really appreciate it. I actually don't know what to say because the family are genuinely distraught - they're going through so much. 

“This is the third Sunday in a row that the Faulkner family are after getting bad news and I actually don't know how much more they can take, but if you can, please, light a candle, say a little prayer for all these little boys that have been in this accident and that he (10-year-old) pulls through with no life threatening injuries and gets back to his full health with the help of God,” said Josephine.

The boy's cousin Scarlett Faulkner, aged 29, passed away in Cork University Hospital three weeks after she was assaulted at the side of the road in Birdhill on March 21.

Her older brother Jason, 34, who was a pallbearer at Scarlett's funeral, tragically passed away two days later on Sunday, April 19. Jason was laid to rest with Scarlett in Meelick Cemetery on Friday - exactly a week after Scarlett's funeral.

A prayer vigil has been organised for this Monday at 6.30pm at the shrine in Ballynanty.

The organiser said, in a post on social media, they are gathering on behalf of the Faulkner family to pray that the 10-year-old wakes up and is restored to full health, and for a speedy recovery for his brother. 

“My friend is a broken woman right now and has pleaded with me to just keep praying for her two boys,” she wrote.

Prayers will be held for the 16-year-old who passed away and to give strength to his family at this tragic time. 

“Please share and please turn up today - the power of prayer actually works and the Faulkner family need all the prayers they can get.”