Tyrone community in state of shock after pedestrian (22) is killed in motorway accident

A CO Tyrone town has been left in a “state of shock” after a 22-year-old pedestrian lost his life in a motorway accident on Saturday night.

Darryl Thompson, from Beragh, was killed after being involved in a collision with a car on a section of the M1.

Detailed circumstances surrounding Mr Thompson’s death are not yet known but road closures remained in place yesterday morning. The small village in rural Tyrone, situated around eight miles from Omagh, has been shaken by the news.

West Tyrone MLA Daniel McCrossan offered his condolences to Mr Thompson’s family.

“It’s a tragedy. Beragh is a very close-knit, cross-community town.

“I’d like to offer my thoughts and prayers to Mr Thompson’s family at this difficult time.”

Online tributes from friends of the young man have been posted on Facebook. Paul Devine said: “You always were a character. So close to Christmas and everything — my thoughts and prayers are with your family, sleep tight big man.”

Another wrote: “God bless your family.”

“Sad news for his family,” wrote Maggie Gibney. “God help them and may his soul rest in peace. So young.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for the PSNI said: “Police can confirm that 22-year-old Darryl Thompson from the Beragh area has died following a fatal road traffic collision involving a car and a pedestrian on the M1 motorway last night, Saturday, November 10.

“Police would appeal to anyone who was travelling on the M1 motorway last night at approximately 10.20pm and witnessed this incident which occurred between junction 14 and junction 15 near Tamnamore, to contact the Collision Investigation Unit on 101, quoting reference number 1477 10/11/18.”

A spokesman for the Ambulance Service said: “We attended a road traffic collision at 10.20pm at Tamnamore near Dungannon. We attended with one crew but nobody was taken from the scene.”