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Man left with serious head injuries after Co Tyrone quad bike hit-and-run

Police have appealed for information following a hit-and-run incident involving a quad bike in Co Tyrone
Police have appealed for information following a hit-and-run incident involving a quad bike in Co Tyrone

A MAN has suffered serious head injuries after a hit-and-run incident involving a quad bike in Co Tyrone.

The collision happened on the Erganagh Road, on the outskirts of Omagh, at around 10.45pm on Friday night.

The injured pedestrian was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital.

Police are seeking information about the movements of two quad bikes in the area at the time.

It is the latest incident involving off-road vehicles following the death of mother-of-three Valerie Armstrong in July 2016 after she was struck by a scrambler bike while out walking in a forest park in west Belfast.

In October, a nine-year-old schoolboy was injured after being hit by a scrambler bike in Mossley Pavilion in Newtownabbey.

Prior to the collapse of power-sharing at Stormont, the law surrounding the use of scramblers and quad bikes had been debated amidst calls for the legislation to be changed.

A new rule, which came into force on Friday, requires quad bike users to wear helmets while travelling on public roads or face a fine of £500.

Police figures show that five people were killed and 71 injured while riding on a quad bike on a public road in the decade between 2006 and last year.

Meanwhile, police are looking to speak to the driver of a car which knocked down a three-year-old boy on Central Promenade in Newcastle, Co Down.

The collision happened sometime between 3pm and 3.30pm on Saturday.

The child did not suffer serious injuries but police are keen to speak to the driver of a red coloured car, which stopped at the scene but left without exchanging details.

The PSNI has appealed for anyone with information about the Omagh collision to contact officers on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.