Tragedy at Forecourt in County Tyrone on 29th January – Staff from Lynch’s Spar form Guard of Honour at Funeral
The death of a 71-year-old man after a car crashed through a Spar shop window at a forecourt in County Tyrone has “shocked” the local community.
Gerard Rafferty, known as Jock, died a short time after emergency services attended the scene in Clonoe on Wednesday 29th January.
It is understood he was outside the shop when he was struck by the car.
At his funeral service at St Patrick’s Church in Clonoe on Saturday 31st January, staff from the Spar shop formed a guard of honour as Jock’s coffin was carried into the church, as ‘Amazing Grace’ began to play to the packed congregation.
Reflecting on the guard of honour outside the church, Canon Fee said: “I must say how lovely it is to see that beautiful guard of honour, the staff of the young people of Lynch’s along with the management here today. They are welcome and we appreciate they did what they could on Wednesday when they could do nothing.”
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.
“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 told the BBC.
“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”.
Chief Inspector Simpson, from the Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Police received a report at around 12.20pm that a car had crashed into a shop in the Moor Road area and struck a member of the public.
“Officers, along with colleagues from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, attended the scene. However, Mr Rafferty sadly passed away a short time afterwards.
“Our enquiries are continuing and we would appeal to anyone who witnessed the collision, or who may have digital footage which could assist with our investigation, to contact the Collision Investigation Unit on 101, quoting reference number 651 of 28/01/26.”
