UPDATE: Teenage girl's body linked to earlier car crash

By Q Radio News

Police say they believe the death of a teenage girl in the grounds of Belfast City Hospital is linked to an earlier car crash on the outskirts of the city.

The 17 year old was discovered close to a grey MG car at the hospital on the Lisburn Road just before 3am on Sunday.

About half an hour earlier, a silver Mercedes was found on its roof in undergrowth in Castlereagh and a man was taken to hospital.

Police officers spent the day at the scene where the car was covered in a forensic tent.

Later on Sunday the car was removed from the scene.

(Pic by Alan Lewis)

Chief Inspector Michael Gregg said: "Just before 2:35am this morning (Sunday, 24th March) we received a report of a single-vehicle road traffic collision involving a silver Mercedes on Ballygowan Road in the vicinity of its junction with Manse Road in Castlereagh.

"Police attended and discovered a car on its roof in an undergrowth area in the vicinity of the roundabout. Police located an injured man.

"Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS), who were in attendance, transported the injured man to hospital for treatment of his injuries. 

"The Ballygowan Road was closed for a time, but has since re-opened. 

"A short time later, at 2:55am, we received a report from the NIAS they had located a female on the ground next to a grey-coloured MG car in the vicinity of Belfast City Hospital on the Lisburn Road. Sadly, the female was subsequently pronounced deceased. A post mortem will be carried out in due course to establish the cause of death. 

"Our investigation is at an early stage, however, we believe there is a link between the collision on Ballygowan Road in the vicinity of its junction with Manse Road, and the discovery of the teenager's body. I have a number of appeals to make this evening. 

"Were you in the Manse Road area/general Ballygowan area between 1am and 2:30am this morning? Did you see a car matching the description of the silver Mercedes? Did you witness the collision? Did you see any other vehicles in the time after the collision, including a grey MG? 

"If you were on the road at these times, please think back to what you may have seen. It's important we can track the movement of the vehicle involved to help us establish what happened. 

"I also want to appeal to anyone who was in the Belfast City Hospital/Lisburn Road area of the city this morning and saw a grey MG, to please call us. We need to know how this young girl was brought to the hospital, by whom and from where. 

"If you have information about the collision, or the circumstances surrounding the death of this young girl which you believe could assist our investigation, please, pick up the phone and call us on the non emergency number 101, quoting reference number 227 of 24/03/19. I would also urge anyone who may have captured footage of the collision on Manse Road or of the a Grey MG in the area of the City Hospital to call us." 

Alternatively information can also be provided by calling the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Nearby Dunluce Avenue was also closed off.

(Pic by Alan Lewis)

(Pic by Alan Lewis)