Three killed in road accidents named

Three people, including a 15-year-old girl, were killed in separate accidents on Northern Ireland’s roads today.

The deaths increased the road death toll so far this year to 40.

The teenager was killed when a car in which she was a passenger crashed into a telegraph pole on the Staffordshire Road outside Randalstown, Co Antrim.

She was named by police as Joanne McConville from Killyfad Road, Randalstown.

Four other people in the car when it crashed were detained in hospital with injuries which police said were not thought to be life-threatening.

A 25-year-old woman died in an accident on the Hilltown Road outside Newry, Co Down in the early hours of the morning. She was named as Rosalina Maguire from South Promenade, Newcastle, Co Down.

Earlier, a 27-year-old man was killed when his car crashed on the Comber Road outside Newtownards, Co Down and ended up in a field. No other vehicle was involved and his name was not released at the request of his family.

Meanwhile a 12-year-old boy was in a critical condition in hospital after being knocked down by a lorry in Londonderry.

The boy was trapped for a time under the lorry on the city’s Buncrana Road until the fire service used lifting gear to free him.

He was taken to hospital in the city after the accident yesterday afternoon, but transferred later to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast for specialist treatment.