Teen dies on way to school formal

A 17-year-old boy has died in a road accident in County Londonderry as he went to meet up with friends before a school formal event.

Eamon McIntyre died in a collision between his car and a lorry on Boleran Road, near Garvagh, at 1800 GMT on Wednesday. He was from a local family.

Assembly member John Dallat said the victim's uncle died on the same road more than 20 years ago.

The formal, for pupils at Loreto College in Coleraine, was called off.

"What do you say to a family that's lost their eldest child," said Mr Dallat.

"For the next few days the focus will be entirely on what the local community can do for the family."

The Mayor of Limavady, Brenda Chivers, said her daughter was to attend the same formal and knew Mr McIntyre.

"They were all just in total shock, they just couldn't believe it.

"They'd only seen him in school that day.

"For children that age, it's really hard to take in.

"My daughter said he was a very popular young boy," she said.

Police in Coleraine have asked anyone who witnessed the accident on the Boleran Road between a blue Iveco lorry and a white Vauxhall Zafira to contact them.

In a separate accident in Antrim a 39-year-old female pedestrian was taken to hospital after she was hit by a car on Belmont Road in the town.

The police have described her condition as serious. The female driver of the car was taken to hospital suffering from shock.

A total of 104 people have now died on Northern Ireland's roads in 2008.