 The speed limit on the road has recently been reduced to 50mph |
A father and son have died alongside a family friend in a late night car accident in north Wales while travelling home from a rally social meeting. The crash happened on the A541 Mold to Wrexham road at Pontblyddyn at 2330 GMT on Thursday.
David Echlin, 42, his 16-year-old son James and friend Richard Parry, the driver and thought to be aged 23, were in the same car, a Peugeot 205.
No other vehicles were involved.
This is the second tragedy to hit the Echlin family. Five years ago a teenage relative died after an air gun accident.
The trio had been to a social evening of the Broughton and Bretton Motor Club, held every Thursday at the New Inn public house, Pontblyddyn.
Tributes
"The father and son had only just started coming for the last few weeks and they hadn't actually joined," said club spokesman Howard Gittins.
Mr Gittins said their friend Richard Parry was a "very charming young person from Pwllheli".
"He's just moved in with his girlfriend and rallying was his life," he added.
James, 16, known as Jim, was a former pupil at Castell Alun High School in Hope, Flintshire.
Headteacher David Mountfort said: "We are devastated by the loss. James was a popular boy in school and his love of life was evident to all.
"His teachers and fellow pupils all remember him fondly and our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time."
 The accident happened on the A541 Mold to Wrexham road |
The A541 was closed after the accident northbound at the A5104 until 0630 GMT on Friday as police and the fire service conducted an investigation.
The stretch of road is an Arrive Alive speed watch route and the limit has recently been reduced from 70mph to 50mph.
Arrive Alive is a road safety initiative run by North Wales Police, health authorities and a number of other organisations.
There have been no other serious or fatal accidents on the stretch of road where the men were killed for the past three years.
Flintshire county councillor Ken Richardson said the road can be dangerous.
"We have been campaigning for many years for the reduction of speed limits in Pontblyddyn," he said.
"As far as I'm aware this was the first major accident we've had since lowering the speed limit roughly 12 months ago."
Mr Richardson is a personal friend of James Echlin's maternal grandparents.
"It's a big shock to me. They're a very well known and respected family, I phoned up and spoke to the boy's grandparents, obviously they're in deep shock," he said.
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