The three young people who died in a car crash on Krýsuvíkurvegur in the early hours of Monday were remembered at prayer services at Háteigskirkja and Lágafellskirkja yesterday afternoon.
Helga Soffía Konráðsdóttir, parish priest at Háteigskirkja, says many people are grieving. A crash like this has an enormous impact on the whole community.
And now, at the beginning of September, when schools are starting, life is somehow getting going again and everything seems so promising and good, we are brought back down to earth and reminded of how fragile life is.
Important to listen to young people who are grieving
The crash affects many young people, and the trauma can pull the ground from beneath the feet of those dealing with its aftermath. Helga Soffía says it is important to support young people - to listen to them and make time to talk.
One thing the kids also do, which is good for us adults, is that they stick together very well and support one another. They should continue doing that, but they need to have access to adults they can talk to and not be alone with their grief.
She urges young people not to be afraid.
I would really like to ask all teenagers to pause and take life calmly. Be present, take life slowly and enjoy being alive. Do not be frightened or afraid - go and find someone to talk to.
She says that when tragedy strikes a small community like ours, people come together in grief and compassion.
And we take it very much to heart when young people in the prime of their lives are suddenly taken from us in a crash. It touches everyone and affects everyone.
Residents have long warned about speeding on Krýsuvíkurvegur
The police investigation into the crash is still at an early stage. The car left the road, struck a rock beside the junction of Krýsuvíkurvegur and Leiðarendavegur and burst into flames. Two girls, aged 16 and 18, and a 20-year-old man died in the crash.
Speeding is among the factors police are investigating, according to chief superintendent Sævar Guðmundsson. The car, a BMW, is suspected to have been travelling at more than 220 km/h when the crash occurred. Other young people in several cars were at the scene. They are believed to have been engaging in high-speed driving on the road. Several young people witnessed the crash and will be interviewed over the coming days.
A resident of Vellir, near the crash site, says speeding has been taking place on Krýsuvíkurvegur for a long time. He does not want to be named. He says residents have repeatedly alerted police to the problem, and he himself contacted police this summer calling for action before a serious crash occurred on the road. He says residents of the neighbourhood are in shock.
Other Hafnarfjörður residents to whom has RÚV has spoken say that speeding by young people on Krýsuvíkurvegur has been a problem for decades.
Sævar says police often receive reports about speeding by young people. He says it takes place throughout the capital area and is not confined to Krýsuvíkurvegur. Police have received reports that high-speed driving is currently becoming popular among young people.
