A 50-YEAR-OLD cyclist who died in a Co Down road crash on Thursday morning has been named as Stephen Lynch from the Downpatrick area.
The father-of-five died after being involved in a collision with a car on the Newtownards to Bangor Road. It happened close to the Somme Heritage Centre shortly before 5.50am.
He is the third cyclist to die on Northern Ireland’s roads so far this year. The male driver of the Renault car was not injured in the accident.
Mr Lynch, pictured, was a father to Nicole, Michael, Andrew, Steffan and Matthew and brother of Mark.
Posting on Facebook his son Matthew said he “never could have wished for a better dad” and added that “Heaven had gained a angel”.
Mr Lynch worked at Salt and Pepper Sandwiches in Bangor and staff were said to be devastated at the loss of a hugely popular colleague.
A host of sympathy was also expressed on social media, with one friend describing ‘Stevie’ as a “good Samaritan”.
Mr Lynch’s funeral will leave his daughter’s home in Ardmeen Green, Downpatrick, on Monday, October 10 at 12.30pm for 1pm Requiem Mass in St Patrick’s Church. This will be followed by burial in Struell Cemetery.
PSNI Inspector David McClements has appealed for anyone who was travelling on the Newtownards to Bangor Road and may have seen the crash to contact the PSNI’s collision investigation unit on 101.
Fifty people have died on the roads during 2016 – a reduction on the previous two years.
