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06th Aug 2023

Family calls for action after 20 crashes happen directly outside house

Ellen Fitzpatrick

The incidents have happened over the last four years.

A Stormont MLA has appealed to Northern Ireland’s roads service following over 20 crashes outside a family home in Co. Down.

The family living there have said they have been left terrified that one of their children or a driver will be killed on the road.

They also have published CCTV pictures of the various incidents that have occurred on the bend at the gate of their home.

These incidents have mostly occurred over the last four years and have seen drivers losing control of their cars.

According to RTÉ, SDLP MLA Colin McGrath has called on officials to reconstruct the bend in order to prevent any casualties.

The issues first began on the Bonecastle Road near Downpatrick in Co Down after a section was widened a number of years ago and was used as a “rat-run” by drivers trying to avoid traffic.

Family calls for action after crashes

The road dips and bends outside the family home, with the speed limit being 60 miles per hour.

The family have said they believe it is a combination of speed, weather conditions and road which has seen issues occur and are in disbelief that nobody has lost their life there.

Over the last six weeks, there have been four accidents and two near missed picked up on CCTV – as well as the family helping 24 drivers over the last number of years.

In order to prevent their young children from being injured in any crashes, they built a wall to give protection but it has been hit by various drivers and was left partially demolished last month.

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