No words can express the grief of the family of a woman who died in a road traffic collision involving a Harley Davidson motorcycle she was driving and a car in Co Armagh, a representative and friend of the family said on Tuesday.
Judith McMullan (35) died at the scene of the crash on the Mowhan Road, near Markethill last night.
The collision happened shortly before 7.45pm between the black Seat Leon and Harley Davidson.
Police attended along with paramedics but Ms McMullan, who had been riding the motorcycle, died from her injuries at the scene.
The road was closed overnight but has now re-opened.
Police have asked for anyone with information or dashcam footage to contact them by calling 101.
Tributes were paid to Ms McMullan on Tuesday. DUP MLA William Irwin said: "I offer my deepest sympathy to the McMullan family circle at this horrific time.
"I know the McMullans very well and was speaking to them today. There is simply no way to put in words the grief they are experiencing following Judith’s untimely and tragic passing.
"Judith will be missed by very many people right throughout the community and I will be remembering the McMullan family in my prayers and urge the community to support them in their grief.”
Mr Irwin visited Judith’s parents, Sammy and Roberta, on Tuesday morning.
“They are a close-knit family and of course they are absolutely devastated by the loss of their daughter,” he said.
"They have a strong faith and I have no doubt everyone in the community is going to rally around them during this horrific time.”
“I have lost a child myself, so I have some understanding of what they are going through,” Mr Irwin told the Belfast Telegraph. Mr Irwin's teenage son Philip died in a drowning accident close to 25 years ago.
“Nothing in the world prepares you for the pain and the trauma. All we can do is be there for them," Mr Irwin said.
“There is simply no way to put into words the grief they are experiencing following Judith’s untimely and tragic passing.”
Independent councillor Paul Berry said: “It was with horror that I first heard of a bad accident on the Mowhan Road outside Markethill on Monday evening.
"Of course you always hope and pray that all involved will be okay, but I was stunned when I learned of the sad death of Judith McMullan as a result of the accident.
"I know the McMullan family and indeed they are very well known and very much respected and as a community we send our deepest condolences to them all at this very sad and distressing time of unbearable loss of a young life.
"The McMullan family have a strong faith and whilst they will be in deep sorrow, I have no doubt they will draw on their faith at this time and it is important as a community we lift them up in prayer at this time.”
It is the 40th fatality on the roads in Northern Ireland since the beginning of the year. Last year, 23 people had lost their lives on the roads in the first six months of the year with 55 in total across the year.
Meanwhile, in the Republic, two teenage girls were killed and three people hospitalised after a road crash in Co Monaghan. Of the three people taken to hospital, two are in a critical condition.
All five were travelling in the same car. It is understood that some of the people involved were on their way to a secondary school 'Debs' ball.
There have been 100 deaths on roads in the Republic to date this year, compared to 95 in the same period last year and 79 in 2021.
