58th A5 Death Since 2007 After Collision Near Omagh
A 36-year-old man died in a collision between two vehicles on the A5 in County Tyrone. The crash took place at the junction with Garvaghey Bridge Road near Omagh on the evening of 23 February. He drove a silver Nissan Micra and was pronounced dead at the scene. Three occupants of a white Audi A6 sustained injuries not threatening their lives and received hospital treatment.
The victim lived in County Donegal and worked as a chef at a restaurant in Letterkenny. The restaurant closed until 5 March. He had played football for Donegal Town Football Club, including their league-winning team in 2013, and for Monaghan Town FC.
This death is the 58th on the A5 since July 2007. Campaigners have sought upgrades to the single-carriageway sections of the road since a dualling scheme received approval that year. Legal opposition has postponed construction.
Niall McKenna, chair of the A5 Enough Is Enough group, expressed condolences to the victim's family and called on opponents of the upgrade to reassess their position. He linked project delays to ongoing fatalities on the road.
Sinn Féin MP Órfhlaith Begley conveyed sympathies to the family and those hurt. She highlighted the incident as further evidence for advancing the A5 dualling work.
Police requested information or dashcam footage from the collision. Contact the Collision Investigation Unit on 101, quoting reference 1578 23/02/26.