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Man dies after car crashes through petrol station window

Niall McCrackenBBC News NI Mid Ulster reporter
PSNI A close up image of a man with grey hair. He is wearing a navy top with a blue collar. PSNI
Gerard Rafferty, known as Jock, from the Coalisland area, died at the scene

The death of a 71-year-old man after a car crashed through a petrol station shop window in County Tyrone has "shocked" the local community, a councillor has said.

Gerard Rafferty, known as Jock, died a short time after emergency services attended the scene in Clonoe on Wednesday.

BBC News NI understands he was outside the shop when he was struck by the car.

Councillor Malachy Quinn said the victim was a "character" who was from a family who were very well known and well thought of in the area.

A wide shot of a petrol station forecourt, in the middle distance is a shop with SPAR in red letters and the green fir tree logo of the shop. An ambulance is parked outside on the right of the image, to its left a grey car can be seen in the shop window, behind it are other vehicles which are black and grey. In the foreground is a police car.
A car has crashed through the side of the petrol station shop window in Clonoe, County Tyrone

"I think yesterday was just a shocking moment for everybody," Quinn told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme.

"It's really hit the community badly."

Police said they received a report of the incident in the Moor Road area of the village at about 12:20 GMT.

One emergency ambulance attended along with the Charity Air Ambulance, with Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) on board.

Quinn, from the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) visited the scene shortly after the crash.

"I know some of the staff that work in the shop and I know how devastated they are, I think it's probably one of the worst experiences of their lives," he said.

"Unfortunately this morning we have a local family that are in mourning, something that they certainly didn't expect to happen."

Quinn said he knew the the victim and described him as "a character" who originally came from Maghery but later moved to Coalisland.

He added that the Rafferty family were well known throughout the community and "very well thought of and held in high regard".

The councillor said local residents would be very willing to help the bereaved family in the days to come.

'The community will be heartbroken'

Linda Dillon. She has her light brown hair tied up and is wearing a coat standing outside.
Linda Dillon is a Sinn Féin MLA for Mid Ulster and described the area as a "very close tight-knit community"

Sinn Féin MLA for Mid Ulster, Linda Dillon, said: "This is a member of our community, it is somebody who people know and love and care deeply about.

"The family are well known, they are very much a loved family in this community and I know the community will be heartbroken for them."

She added: "This is a very close tight-knit community and I know that the community will rally round all those involved."

Police are appealing to witnesses to contact them.

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