MAN DIES AND ANOTHER SERIOUSLY HURT IN A DAY OF ACCIDENTS
FOUR road crashes took place across Northern Ireland yesterday, with one man in his sixties losing his life in Glenavy and another man seriously injured near Newry.
A third crash saw a lorry overturned near Belfast International Airport, while the fourth incident happened elsewhere in Co Antrim.
The victim of the fatal accident was the driver of a black Skoda that crashed around 10am on the Moira Road in Glenavy, close to the junction of the Carnkilly Road.
No other vehicles were involved.
Police cordoned the scene off for hours yesterday to conduct their investigations, reopening the road shortly after 5pm.
No details about the man’s identity were released.
SDLP councillor for the area Conor Quinn said he was deeply saddened to learn of the death.
“There is ongoing concerns in the community about safety on that stretch of road,” he said.
“It is very busy, being the main road between Nutts Corner and Moira
“My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved family.”
It brings the total deaths on Northern Ireland’s roads this year to 32, four fewer than the same time last year.
Police have appealed for anyone travelling on the Moira Road yesterday morning who witnessed the accident to contact officers in Lisburn or the Collision Investigation Unit on 101, quoting reference number 297 of June 18, 2017.
A second single-vehicle crash was reported just after 2pm yesterday on the A1 at Sheepsbridge near Newry.
Police confirmed the male driver of the car was taken to hospital, where his condition is described as serious.
The A1 was closed in both directions throughout the afternoon before being reopened around 8pm.
A third incident saw a lorry overturn on the Ballyrobin Road near the airport at around 2pm.
A recovery vehicle was soon on site to clear the upended tanker, with the obstruction cleared around 7pm.
No injuries were reported from the incident.
Yesterday evening there was a fourth incident, with a single-vehicle crash reported shortly after 7pm on the Carnlough Road near Broughshane.
Police confirmed they had closed the road with diversions in place between Munie Road and Hazelbank Road.
The surge in incidents follows a dramatic rescue on Saturday in Co Donegal when the car of a married couple entered a river in Porthall, just outside Lifford.
Andrew Johnston, an Ulster University student from Lurgan, spoke of how he made four attempts to rescue Loreta McKinlay from the vehicle.
He recalled: “I saw the wreckage of a car and a man, whose face was covered in blood, and standing on the top of an upturned car.
“I’m not a gold medal swimmer but I got out to him and asked him if there was anybody else in the car.
“He told me his wife was in the car. To be honest, it wasn’t the answer I wanted to hear, but I knew I had to do something.”
With help from the injured Mr McKinlay, both escaped the sinking car.
The McKinlays were later taken to Altnagelvin Hosptial, with Mrs McKinlay later transferred to Letterkenny Hospital.