Tributes after five teenagers killed in crash

The teenagers were travelling in a blue Toyota Corolla when it was in collision with a grey Seat Leon on Saturday evening.

Police believe that a third vehicle, a black Vauxhall Corsa, may have been involved.

A 21-year-old man, who is believed to have been driving the Corsa, has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and released on bail.

The incident happened on the A630 Doncaster Road in Conisbrough at around 9.40pm.

Police named the teenagers who died as Bartosz Bortniczak (18), Blake Cairns (16), Arpad Kore (18), Jordanna Goodwin (16) and Megan Storey (16), all from Doncaster.

The driver of the Seat, a 45-year-old man from Mexborough, suffered a broken leg.

Four of the teenagers were sixth formers at Danum Academy in Doncaster and headteacher Rebecca Staples paid tribute to them.

She said: “Blake Cairns, Jordanna Goodwin, Arpad Kore and Megan Storey were all flourishing in our sixth form.

“They were popular, lively and loved by those who knew them and many students looked up to them within our community.”

Ms Staples described Blake Cairns as “great fun” who had a huge network of friends and was sporty.

She said thatMs Staples Goodwin never missed a day at school, for which she attained a special award from Doncaster Council.

Ms Staples described Jordanna as “a joyful bubbly girl who had a fantastic rapport with staff” and said she was this year’s Prom Queen.

The head said that Arpad Kore was a “totally reliable member of our community, a true gentleman who looked out for everybody”.

She said that Megan Storey was a “really bubbly young woman” who was “a joy to be with”.

Ms Staples said that Bartosz Bortniczak had maintained close ties with his school friends since leaving Danum Academy and had been a member of the school’s football teams, adding: “He was a down to earth soul.”

Ms Staples added: “We will continue to do everything we can to support those affected. We have opened books of remembrance and will have quiet rooms on both our sites with counsellors available.”

Flowers have been placed outside the school’s sixth form block and at the crash scene in Conisbrough.

Ms Staples said: “Each one of them has a special place in each of our hearts. They had tremendous lives ahead of them.

“Grief is already spreading across our community.

“Our thoughts remain with the families and friends of these wonderful young people.”

Police are investigating whether fog on Saturday evening, which had reduced visibility to 30 metres, played a part in the accident.

The stretch of road was the site of a fatal road traffic accident three years ago which took the lives of Michael Gallagher (16), Thomas Hughes (15) and Antonia  Browne (14) who suffered multiple injuries in the high-speed smash when the car they were travelling in ploughed into a tree and was torn in two.

But Insp Pete Serhatlic, of South Yorkshire Police, said that the stretch of road was not an accident blackspot.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: “It’s not really a location where you consistently get road traffic collisions of a serious nature.

“It’s just that the ones you do get on that stretch of road seem to, unfortunately, involve multiple deaths.”