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Man killed and two injured in spate of road crashes

Thursday, 2 February 2012

A MAN has been killed and two injured in three separate road traffic collisions in the Omagh district at the weekend. Thirty-six-year-old father-of-two, Peter Fugill, of Kinsale Park, Londonderry, died in a tragic single-vehicle road traffic collision on the Omagh to Newtownstewart Road in the early hours of Saturday.
The fatality occurred at around 1am when the vehicle he was driving - a silver BMW car - struck a verge at a sweeping bend on the Beltany Road and overturned onto its roof about one mile from Newtownstewart. Mr Fugill was pronounced dead at the scene.
It is understood that an off-duty fire brigade officer came across the accident and carried out a routine fire safety check, while ambulance and NI Fire and Rescue Service personnel were tasked to the scene.
Firefighters from Newtownstewart and Omagh stations used airbags, cutters and spreaders as they undertook the harrowing task of releasing the body.
Police in Omagh are keen to hear from anyone who saw the crash or saw the silver BMW car on the road beforehand.
“Police would appeal to anyone who was on the A5 around this time or anyone who witnessed the collision to contact them at Omagh Police Station on 0845 600 8000," said a PSNI spokesperson.
Mr Fugill is survived by his mother, Bernadette, his teenage daughters, Charlotte (14) and Grace (13), and wider family circle.
Collisions
The tragedy was one of three serious road traffic accidents on local roads over the weekend.
In a separate incident on Saturday, a man aged in his 80s, and named locally as James McCanney, from Drumquin, sustained head and neck injuries, after he was involved in a two-vehicle collision.
The accident happened at the Minnowburn junction on the Omagh to Lack road at Drumlish around 12.26pm.

NI Fire and Rescue Service personnel from Dromore and Omagh stations were deployed to the scene and used hydraulic cutting gear to free Mr McCanney, who was trapped inside his car.
He was then taken via ambulance to the Erne Hospital in Enniskillen, where he was treated for his injuries and later released.
According to police, two others were treated at the scene.
In another incident on Friday evening, police received a report of a one-vehicle collision in the Tummery area, on the Dromore to Irvinestown Road.
It is understood that the accident, which took place at around 3.37pm., happened as the driver of the vehicle crashed through a fence and struck a tree.
Both ambulance and NI Fire and Rescue Service personnel were deployed to the scene and local firefighters used hydraulic cutting gear to free the male driver from the vehicle.
The man, aged in his 20s, and named locally as Christopher Knox, from Dromore, was then taken to the Erne Hospital in Enniskillen, where he was treated for injuries to his back and hip, before being later released from hospital.
‘Devastating'
Meanwhile, speaking to the Derry Journal following the 'devastating' news of Mr Fugill's death, his 'heartbroken' mother described her son as 'a quiet but bubbly big fella'.
“It's hard to believe it, I'm still trying to accept it," she said.
“Last night (Sunday) when the food was being cleared, I thought I'd put some away for Peter coming home and then it hit me that he wasn't coming home. It's devastating."
Speaking on how much Mr Fugill loved his two daughters, she continued: "He loved those two girls so much, they were his life and he was so proud of them."
She added that her son's girlfriend of five years, Marie, was also 'utterly devastated' by the sudden loss.
The deceased's funeral service is due to take place today (Wednesday) at 10am in the Church of Immaculate Conception, Trench Road, Londonderry, followed by burial at Ballyoan Cemetery.
Sympathy
Expressing sympathy to the family, West Tyrone MLA, Tom Buchanan, said: "I wish to extend my sympathy on behalf of myself and the DUP in West Tyrone to the family of the victim of the fatal road crash in the early hours of Saturday morning past.
“Any death is tragic but to be told of a relative's death in such a sudden and unexpected manner must be devastating for the entire family circle. This is made all the worse when one so young is tragically killed in the prime of life.
“Whatever the circumstances around this crash were the fact remains that another person has tragically lost their life on our roads and we want to express our sympathy to the devastated family who received this terrible news."
Mr Buchanan also appealed to motorists to exercise extra caution on the roads at this time of year in the wake of the weekend's spate of accidents.
“Over the weekend we have seen quite a number of accidents within the area and I would ask people to be careful on the roads. I would urge motorists to be on the alert at this time of year, in particular, when heavy frost is on the ground which can add to the number of accidents happening in and around the area."
Also commenting on the incidents, Omagh District Council chairman, Frankie Donnelly, said: "Here we have yet another fatality on the A5 road and I hope sooner rather than later we can arrive at a stage where these tragedies will no longer occur on this stretch of road. I express my deepest sympathy to the deceased's family at this difficult time."
Commenting on the accident at the Drumlish Road, Mr Donnelly, who knows the elderly man that was injured in the incident, added: "It is a dramatic and frightening time for the family of anyone involved in accidents and I wish those involved in this accident a speedy recovery.
“Once again it highlights the dangers of our roads and accidents at minor junctions."

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