Northern Ireland

Mother of young man killed in A5 triple tragedy calls for urgent action

Nathan Corrigan, Peter Finnegan and Petey McNamee, who died following a two vehicle road traffic collision
Nathan Corrigan, Peter Finnegan and Petey McNamee, who died following a two vehicle road traffic collision Nathan Corrigan, Peter Finnegan and Petey McNamee, who died following a two vehicle road traffic collision

THE mother of a young man killed in a triple tragedy on a notoriously dangerous stretch of road is calling for urgent action.

Nathan Corrigan's mother Kate pleaded with Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill to address the safety of the junction where her son died.

Mr Corrigan was one of three men, all aged in their twenties, who lost their lives on the A5 near St Matthew's Church and Kelly's Inn at Garvaghey, Co Tyrone, last month.

Petey McNamee from Sixmilecross and Peter Finnegan from Clogher were also killed in the collision involving their car and a lorry.

Read More: Tyrone GAA chiefs join calls for long-overdue upgrade of A5 to be made priority

Plans to upgrade the A5 were first proposed in 2006 but legal challenges and public inquiries have stalled the project.

Since then, 42 people have died on the road.

This week, Ms O'Neill confirmed funding to begin work on the first phase of the upgrade has been secured saying the investment would "undoubtedly save lives".

Ms Corrigan responded to a post about Ms O'Neill's comments on the WeAreTyrone Facebook page.

"Having just very recently lost my son Nathan Corrigan at the junction at Kelly's Inn, minutes, even seconds, from being home, this junction needs addressing as top priority before any work starts," Ms Corrigan said.

"As a bereaved mum and local resident for most of my life I have watched that road from childhood and the increased volume in traffic is staggering, yet no change made to that particular junction/junctions which has five potential entrances/exit roads.

"This is a nightmare situation given the high volume of traffic using this section of the road. It needs traffic lights, road ramps, warning lights to slow down, anything really which would warn road users to slow down and something to indicate to drivers who has right of way at the various junctions. Yes the overall upgrade is needed but this 500m stretch of the road definitely needs attention."

The priest at her son's funeral said his community had paid a great price for the failure to upgrade the A5.

Fr O'Dwyer called on authorities to prioritise the long-promised upgrade in the wake of the crash.

"This community and this church has witnessed too many deaths and accidents and borne the cost at a great price, and that is just one section of the road," he said.

"Those who oppose the upgrade of the A5 might use the initials of a road traffic accident, RTA. Using those letters perhaps for them masks the reality of what happened. But they did not meet the first responders who were neighbours, nor the first responders from the emergency services, nor the priest who attended the scene.

"They did not share the worry and anxiety of parents who on hearing of the accident checked bedrooms to see if their children were all accounted for. Nor did they stand at the door of the Corrigan home as a policeman arrived to tell Kate and Damian and Callum that Nathan was lying dead just yards from their home. The nightmare had become a reality.

"I hear a lot these days about pro-life. The upgrade of the A5 is a pro-life issue."

In the assembly on Wednesday, Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon said she shared members' sorrow and their concerns about road safety on the A5.

"I want to assure every member and the public that delivery of the A5 is a top priority for me," she said.

"Following the fatal road traffic collision last month, officials will meet the PSNI investigating officer to establish what further road-related measures we can bring forward."