Child Dies After Cloughmills Crash

A child has died and another been left in a stable condition after a mother and her children were hit by a car on the Loughill Road in Cloughmills, County Antrim.

The mother and her six children were walking to school at about 08:30 yesterday morning when the crash happened.

The child has been named as Adam Gilmour, a P5 pupil at Clough Primary.

An 18-year-old man has been arrested.

Two of the children involved in the crash have been discharged from hospital.

The road was closed at the Main Street and Lislaban Road junctions for the majority of Tuesday, but re-opened yesterday evening.

The incident brings the total number of fatalities on Northern Ireland's roads this year to 69.

TUV leader Jim Allister said he had written to the North Eastern Education and Library Board (NEELB) on 20 October after being contacted by the mother of the children over her safety concerns. Mr Allister said the family had to walk to school along the road because of a lack of transport provision for the children.

"For the avoidance of doubt Jim Allister requested a meeting with the Chief Executive of the North Eastern Education and Library Board yesterday and asked for it to take place today to discuss the tragic accident outside Cloughmills," a statement from the TUV said.

"The North Eastern Education and Library Board phoned Mr Allister’s Ballymena office offering a meeting 'in a few days' just before 5pm yesterday. Other than an acknowledgment of his letter of 20th October, Mr Allister had no communication from the NEELB or any offer of a meeting with NEELB prior to yesterday’s accident. It is regrettable that in its press release NEELB deployed language obscuring this reality."

Mr Allister said: "I am dissatisfied that the meeting is not taking place today as requested but can assure the public that I will have some tough questions for the North Eastern Education and Library Board when the meeting does take place."

SDLP Strabane Councillor Patsy Kelly said: "In light of the terrible tragedy at Cloughmills I’m calling on (Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy) to urgently revisit his decision to halt the Safer Route to School Scheme in Dunamanagh and implement the proper restrictions that will reduce the average speed of passing motorists.

"I have been vocal in the past few weeks on this issue and, unfortunately, the awful tragedy of Adam Gilmour’s death and the injuries sustained by his mother and siblings, have exacerbated the worry of many local parents with children at Dunamanagh.

"The average speed of motorists passing the schools is 34.5 mph, according to the latest Road Service survey. They should act on their own findings. With the re-implementation of the Safer Route to School Scheme, practicalities such as flashing school signs and warning lights and other traffic calming measures can be rolled out."

North Antrim Sinn Féin MLA Daithí McKay said: "This is an awful tragedy that has left this small rural community of Cloughmills in shock and mourning.

"There is no doubt there have been failings that have been contributory factors to this accident. All that can be done must be done to protect schoolchildren in rural communities and lessons have to be learned from this.

"My thoughts are with the mother and young children who are in hospital and we hope and pray that they make a full recovery."

(IT/CD)