Woman dies after crash on A5 in County Tyrone

Oonagh Burns was aged 35 and from the Strabane area

A woman has died following a single-vehicle road accident near Bready, Co Tyrone, on Sunday afternoon.

Oonagh Burns, from the Strabane area, was driving a white Seat Leon on the Victoria Road, part of the A5, when it left the carriageway near the junction with the Grangefoyle Road.

It happened at around 13:40 BST and the 35-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.

Victoria Road was closed for a number of hours following the collision but has now reopened.

Inspector Cherith Adair, from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), said: "Our investigation is underway and I would ask anyone who was travelling in the area at the time of the collision to review any dash-cam footage they may have captured and to make contact with the PSNI collision investigation unit at Sprucefield."

Sinn Féin MP Órfhlaith Begley said it was “devastating”that another life had been lost on the A5.

“Yet again another family is left mourning by another fatal accident on this dangerous road. This is a sad reminder of the need to move forward and build the A5 with no more delays,” she said.

More than 50 people have died on the A5, a 58-mile (94km) road linking Derry with Aughnacloy in County Tyrone, since 2006.

Work on a long-proposed upgrade has not yet started despite first being proposed around 17 years ago.

In February the Irish government confirmed it would contribute €600m for the upgrade of the A5, as part of investment for cross-border projects.

Last month Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd met campaigners who want the A5 road upgrade to be prioritised by Stormont.

Mr O'Dowd said he was determined to deliver the project but said he could not provide a timescale for making a decision on when work could begin.