Thomas Morrow and Gary Withers, both aged 23 and from Larne, died when the stolen car they were travelling in swerved out of control and crashed off the road on Saturday afternoon.

Police revealed that the Subaru car they were driving had been stolen from a house on the Killyglen Road, Larne shortly after 1pm on Saturday.

It is understood they drove along the Larne Line to a petrol station in Ballynure where they filled up the tank and sped off without paying, before travelling to Ballyclare where they were observed by police. The men then drove up the Rashee Road to the Collin Road, where they lost control of the vehicle near Tildarg at around 1.20pm.

A PSNI spokesperson confirmed that the car had not been pursued by police officers. However, a spokesman for the Ombudsman's Office told the Times on Tuesday that there will be an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash.

Ballyclare councillor Vera McWilliam said that while the two men shouldn't have stolen the car, their deaths were tragic.

"My condolences go to both families. It is sad that they have lost their loved ones in this way, especially at this time of the year."

District Policing Partnership Chairman, Etta Mann, described the incident as "a tragic and needless loss of life."

"Irrespective of the circumstances, two families now mourn the loss of a loved one and my sympathy goes out to them," she said.

"The loss of life on our roads is always sad, but no more than in the circumstances surrounding this incident," alderman Nigel Hamilton added.
"This was an unnecessary loss from an incident which should never have occurred. My sympathies go to their families. Some lessons are hard earned, and this is one of them. Fortunately no innocent road users where injured when the car careered out of control," the DUP man commented.
Both alderman Hamilton and councillor Mann urged all road users to drive with caution during the coming winter months.