Northern Ireland

Woman (75) killed in A1 crash named locally as Mary Rogers from Banbridge

Police have appealed for witnesses to the crash
Police have appealed for witnesses to the crash Police have appealed for witnesses to the crash

AN elderly woman killed in a road crash on the notorious A1 in Co Down has been named locally as Mary Rogers from Banbridge.

The 75-year-old died after a single-vehicle collision between Banbridge and Dromore on Sunday.

It is understood she was travelling home from church when the tragedy happened on the southbound carriageway shortly before 12.45pm.

Police said she was travelling in a red Citroen C1.

Sixty people have lost their lives on the busy A1, the main road between Belfast and Dublin, since 1998.

A public inquiry is expected to be held next year into proposals to carry out upgrade works to the dual carriageway.

DUP assembly member Carla Lockhart last night said while the circumstances of the latest accident are not known, "more needs to be done on this stretch of road to improve safety".

"The number of fatalities and incidents on this road are unusually high.

"We need to see the police and those responsible for this stretch of road to come forward with proposals to reduce the number of incidents, particularly on the Banbridge to Dromore stretch.

"Too many families have been bereaved and they to will want to know what measures are being put in place so others don’t share their pain."

Mrs Rogers is survived by her husband James and children John and Julie.

Her funeral is due to take place in The Church Of The Nazarene, Dromore tomorrow at 1pm followed by committal in Banbridge Road Presbyterian Church graveyard.