THE daughter of a paraplegic driver killed with three other men when his car plunged into a quarry remains unaware of her father's death.

Emma Magee is too ill to be told the devastating news about her father, her mother says.

The 22-year-old, who lives with her mother in Dorset, was left severely brain damaged after an incident in 1999.

Her mother, Karen Larcombe, 41, told the Argus her daughter is undergoing rehabilitation and is not ready for the tragic news.

She said: "She's not very well at all and wouldn't be able to take the news at the moment."

Jack Magee, 47, from Aberbeeg, was killed along with Shane Powell, 29, from Trevethin, Pontypool, 21-year-old Alex Williams and 19-year-old Karl Devlin, both from Newport, when the BMW they were travelling in left the road at Swffryd, near Crumlin, and plunged 100 feet into Monk's Quarry last Wednesday.

Mrs Larcombe, who was never married to Mr Magee, said she only found out about his death by chance.

She said: "No-one informed us of his death. It was only through a friend who was travelling through Wales at the time and saw the Argus that we found out."

The families were yesterday waiting for the release of the bodies so funeral arrangements could be made.

The family of father of two Mr Powell are looking to make contact with relatives of the other victims to pass on their sympathy.

Mr Powell's sister, Wendy Taylor, 43, said: "We are still all devastated by what happened. We just can't get over it. We haven't heard anything from police about what happened. We can't make funeral arrangements because the body hasn't been released."

She said her family did not recognise the names of the other victims involved.

Mrs Taylor, from Pontymoel, said: "We are looking to send condolence cards to the other families. They will be going through the same pain as us."