ANIMAL WELFARE, RESCUE

UK volunteers and dogs die in car crash

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26.09.2026 Two British volunteers died in a car crash in Romania during a dog rescue mission.
The minibus, which was registered in the UK, was also carrying 10 dogs, eight of which have been killed. (Image above: illustration)
Rachael Harvey-Purkiss, from Essex, and Allison Condon, from Northamptonshire, were in a collision which, according to reports, involved multiple vehicles near the Serbian border on Thursday, September 24. Police inquiries have so far revealed the UK-registered vehicle went on the wrong side, most probably as a result of the difference between the UK, and the EU driving rules. The primary difference in practical driving between the UK and the EU is that the UK drives on the left side of the road, while most of the EU drives on the right side.

The Republic of Ireland: The Republic of Ireland is an EU member state that also drives on the left side of the road and shares very similar practical driving habits and signage styles with the UK. Cyprus and Malta: These are the only two other EU member states that drive on the left side of the road, similar to the UK.

The women were in the country having collected dogs on behalf of UK-based Homeward Bound, which helps street dogs in Turkey. It is understood a number of dogs also died in the crash.
In a Facebook post, Homeward Bound said it was devastated and described the women as “two beautiful rare diamonds”.

“Their hearts were full of nothing but love and care for animals,” the post added.
“Today we are grieving in a way I can’t explain to you… please give us some time to try to process this awful tragedy.”

The daughter of Allison Condon, Sammie Condon, also posted on Facebook to thank people for “an incredible outpouring of support and kindness from across the world”.

“This was supposed to be a beautiful adventure that brought dogs to the life they dreamed of,” she wrote.

The crash happened on Thursday around 11am on the DN6 national road (A-road equivalent in the UK) just outside Vălișoara village. A man aged 60 has also been injured, Radio România Reșița reports.

According to Romanian media, the 61-year-old victim was the driver of the minibus, while the 41-year-old was a passenger in the vehicle. Police inquiries have so far revealed the UK-registered vehicle went on the wrong side of the road and crashed head-on into a truck registered in Romania, whose driver was injured in the collision.

The truck then hit another HGV, also registered in Romania, due to the impact, trapping the minibus between them. A van traveling behind the second truck was also involved in the crash.

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