TWO women and a man last night remained in hospital following a two-vehicle crash in Co Down.
The crash took place on New Year's Day at around 6.40pm on the Tandragee Road, around two miles outside Newry.
The women, believed to be aged in their twenties, were the driver and passenger in a white Renault Clio car while the man, who is aged in his fifties, was the driver of a blue BMW.
Police have appealed for information.
The collision came ahead of the funerals of a teenage boy and woman who died this week in separate road crashes.
Michael Óg McKenna (19) died in a two-car crash in Co Derry in the early hours of New Year's day. He was driving a red Audi which collided with a grey Audi shortly after 2.30am on Moneysharvan Road between Maghera and Swatragh.
Elaine Patricia McGarrity (54), from the Irvinestown area, died after being knocked down by a pick-up truck in Co Fermanagh. She was walking on Brownshill Link Road when the crash happened on Tuesday morning.
Requiem Mass for Mr McKenna will be held tomorrow 11am at St Patrick's Church, Glen, with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.
A funeral notice described him as a "beloved son" of Angela and Josie and "much loved brother" of younger sibling Dominic.
At the same time, Ms McGarrity's funeral Mass will be held at Sacred Heart Church in Irvinestown with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.
Her funeral notice said she will be "sadly missed" by her husband Maurice, children Fiona and Aaron, and large family circle.
The grandmother-of-four's death brought to 55 the total number of people who lost their lives on the north's roads during 2019 – the same number as the previous year.
The fire service yesterday said it attended 755 road traffic collisions and rescued 544 people during 2019, compared to 776 collisions and 530 people rescued in 2018.
Fire service group commander Gerry Lennon said efforts had been made to encourage road safety among younger drivers through initiatives such as a 'your choice' virtual reality programme.
"Road traffic collisions bring misery, pain and grief to individuals, families and communities. It is important that we recognise that we are all responsible for road safety," he said.
