Car crashes into Clogher pensioners home

A CLOGHER pensioner is pleading for a barrier to be erected between her home and the ‘treacherous’ Fintona Road, after a car recently crashed into the side of her house in the middle of the night.

“The crash was so loud it woke me up, but I had no idea what had happened until the doorbell rang and the young man told me he had driven into the house,” said the owner of the property, 77-year-old Josephine Meenan, when she spoke with the UH earlier this week.

In the early hours, a car displaying ‘R’ plates, carrying a young driver and three passengers, was travelling on the Fintona Road when it lost control, bust through Josephine’s fence, hurtled across her garden, and came to a violent stop… its bonnet crumpling against her sunroom wall.

The car collided with the exterior wall of the sunroom, which Josephine believes will have to be knocked down and rebuilt.

On the other side of the wall where the car hit, Josephine’s 36-year-old son, Emmett usually sits.

“We both woke up afraid and confused,” said Josephine.

“We had no idea what had happened until the young man came to the door,” recalled Josephine, remembering the moment that the young driver stumbled from the vehicle, knocked her door, and explained what had happened.

“I was totally shocked, but relieved no one had been seriously hurt.”

Josephine explained that, though the crash that happened that morning had been the worst to date, it was not an isolated incident, with many vehicles having crashed into her fence over the years.

“Only this past weekend, another car slid off the same strip of road,” said Josephine.

As a result, the shaken 77-year-old is sending an urgent message to the police and the Department of Infrastructure: Something has to be done before a life is lost, says Josephine.

“That corner is notoriously bad, and in general people drive far too fast approaching it from both directions.

“My fence has been damaged previously by vehicles but nothing on this scale.

“Something needs to be done about the speed limit here and I am asking for barriers to be installed and hazard marking road signs to be erected so that the likes of this does not happen again.”

When asked about the incident, the PSNI said, “Police received a report of a single vehicle road traffic collision on the Fintona Road, Clogher, in the early hours of Sunday, April 2.

“It was reported that a black Volkswagen car left the road and crashed into a house at around 1.50am. There were no reports of any injuries and no arrests were made. Enquiries into the incident are continuing.”

When contacted by the UH, a DfI spokesperson said, “The Department was not made aware of this incident at the time or any previous incidents in the last 10 years at this location. However, having been subsequently notified about this recent incident the Department will carry out a review to determine if any safety interventions are required.”