Tyrone crash deaths 'poignant and terrible' for families

Patrick Rogers, 26, from Cookstown and his mother-in-law Mary Duffy, aged 52 and from Dungannon, were travelling in a Nissan X-Trail along with Mr Rogers’ wife and four children when the collision occurred on the Dungannon Road near Cookstown shortly before 3.30pm on December 26.

His wife and children are being treated in hospital for injuries, which are not believed to be life-threatening.

The third person who died in the two-vehicle collision was the driver of a VW Golf, 80-year-old Jennifer Acheson. Mrs Acheson was a mother of five from the Sandholes area of Cookstown.

Mr Rogers is described in a family notice as: “Loving husband to Shannon, loving father to Alannah, Eimear, Dylan and Eli. Cherished son of Noel and Geraldine, brother of Shannon and Brother-in-law to Ryan.”

On the same day, Galbally nurse Imelda Quinn was killed on the M1 motorway.

In a social media post, one family friend described the mother of two as a “beautiful girl” who was “one of a kind with the biggest heart of gold”.

Lord Maurice Morrow said the four deaths in a single day had rocked the Tyrone community.

"There is never a good time for road deaths and tragedies, but there is something very poignant and terrible about it whenever it happens around this time of the year,” the DUP peer said.

SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone said people are in a state of shock following the tragedy which will have “ramifications for a rural community in mourning”.

He added: “You think of all of the families who are going through the same thing, particularly at a time such as this – Christmas, when people are thinking of positive things, thinking of youngsters, families and all the positivity and happiness that goes with Christmas. Christmas, simply, will never be the same for them.”

Ulster Unionist councillor Trevor Wilson said: “It is especially tragic at Christmas time. There is no good time for something like this but it is all the worse at Christmas time.”