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Elderly woman dies after A5 crash

PSNI A close-up of the late Bernadette (Bernie) Cranley. She has shoulder-lengthy grey hair and is wearing glasses with coloured rims. PSNI
Bernadette 'Bernie' Cranley died as the result of a crash close to the entrance of the Ulster American Folk Park on Saturday

An 82-year-old woman has died after a crash on the A5 in County Tyrone.

She was Bernadette Cranley, known as Bernie, from Lifford in County Donegal.

The car she was driving was in collision with a SUV on the Mellon Road between Omagh and Newtownstewart at about 12:30 BST on Saturday.

The driver of the other vehicle, a woman in her 70s, was seriously injured and was taken to hospital by ambulance.

A bouquet of yellow and white flowers wrapped in plastic wrap are placed vertically held down with stones at the roadside. In the distance are some orange cones placed by the side of the road.
Flowers have been left at the site of a crash on the A5 near Omagh

The crash happened close to the entrance to the Ulster American Folk Park outside Omagh.

Events which were due to take place at the park on Saturday night as part of the Bluegrass Omagh Festival were called off.

Throw-in for the GAA match between Donegal and Tyrone in Ballybofey was also postponed until 19:15 local time due to the collision.

The road, which was closed for a number of hours, has since reopened, police have said.

Google Maps A Google Maps screenshot of the Ulster American Folk Park sign, which is situated beside a main road. There is a car driving towards the sign, with a number of fields on the right hand side of the image and large trees planted around the sign.Google Maps
The crash happened close to the entrance to the Ulster American Folk Park outside Omagh

West Tyrone assembly member (MLA) Daniel McCrossan said tragedies resulting from the A5 are "never ending".

"Can I ask our community to keep all those affected in their thoughts and prayers," he added.

He said: "Every single week there is an issue here, someone is either seriously injured or put at serious risk.

"There is nothing like getting that knock at the door, and there is another family today that will be devastated by the impact of that."

McCrossan said if the A5 road is not upgraded more lives will be lost.

"This is a matter of urgency now," he added.

More than 50 people have died on Northern Ireland's A5 road - which runs between Londonderry and Aughnacloy - since 2006.

Daniel McCrossan stands on the side of a road with a neutral expression on his face as he looks at the camera. McCrossan has ginger hair which is styled and has a ginger beard. He is wearing a beige jumper with a white collared shirt underneath. Behind him is an empty main road and some trees, but they are blurred.
Daniel McCrossan has called for urgent action to make the A5 safe

In the Republic of Ireland, three women have been killed in separate incidents on Saturday.

Two pedestrians - one in her late 20s in County Wexford and another in her 60s in County Meath - and a cyclist in her 70s in County Clare died in the crashes.

What is the A5?

The road, which is more than 58 miles (94km) long, is single carriageway for most of its length, with overtaking lanes in some sections.

The A5 is a vital artery of the Northern Ireland road network.

It is also the main north-south route in the west of Northern Ireland, providing a link between County Donegal and Dublin, via the N2 in County Monaghan.

A £1.2bn upgrade to the road was announced last year by then Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd, but is now the subject of a judicial review.