A 30-year-old man has died following a two-vehicle crash last night on the A5.
The crash happened on the Curr Road between Omagh and Ballygawley, shortly after 7pm with parts of the road still closed on Wednesday morning.
The collision was between a white BMW 320 and blue Scania lorry.
Sergeant Green from the Police Service’s Collision Investigation Unit said: “Sadly, the driver of the BMW, a 30-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene.
“There were no other passengers in the car, and the driver of the lorry was uninjured.
“The road remains closed at this time and local diversions are in place.
“A full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the road traffic collision is ongoing.”
Police have urged anyone with any information or dashcam footage to come forward and share it.
The A5 has been the subject of calls for improvement due to the high volume of fatal collisions on the route, which links Derry with Aughnacloy in Co Tyrone.
There have been more than 50 fatalities on the road since 2006, according to the infrastructure minister.
Sinn Féin MP Órfhlaith Begley has expressed condolences to the family and friends of the man killed on the A5 on Tuesday evening.
The West Tyrone MP said: “A life lost as a result of a collision on the A5 between Omagh and Ballygawley is yet another absolute tragedy on this road.
“My immediate thoughts are with his family and friends as they come to terms with this heart-breaking news.
“I want to thank and pay tribute to the emergency services for all their efforts at the scene.
“Yet again another family is left devastated by another fatal crash on this dangerous road. This is a sad reminder of the need to move forward and build the A5 with no more delays.”
Alliance MLA Sorcha Eastwood also responded to the incident via X, saying: “I am just so devastated to hear of the loss of life on the A5.
“I stayed for the Assembly debate on the A5 yesterday. It was harrowing to listen to and to think that later that evening that someone would lose their life on the road is awful. Thinking of the family.”
I am just so devastated to hear of the loss of life on the A5.
— Sorcha Eastwood MLA (@SorchaEastwood) March 6, 2024
I stayed for the Assembly debate on the A5 yesterday. It was harrowing to listen to and to think that later that evening that someone would lose their life on the road is awful. Thinking of the family.
This week John O’Dowd, appealed to anyone considering a fresh legal challenge to the A5 redevelopment to think again and prioritise the need to save lives.
Mr O’Dowd also said he would be making a case to the UK government for extra funding for the long-delayed construction project.
Mr O’Dowd told the Assembly he was still giving careful consideration to a report compiled by the Planning Appeals Commission following last summer’s public inquiry into the road-building project.
A scheme to turn the road into a dual carriageway was first approved in 2007, but has been held up by legal proceedings and faced funding uncertainty.
“Clearly with a new dual carriageway, where all travelling vehicles are separated from opposing traffic and where strategic traffic is separated from local traffic and local communities, there is significant potential to reduce collisions and fatalities,” he said.
During Assembly question time, Mr O’Dowd’s party colleague Nicola Brogan had asked about the potential for further legal challenges.
“Given the history of the legal challenges to this scheme unfortunately I do expect more legal challenges to it,” the minister replied.
* This article was amended on March 6 2024
