A local councillor has called on ‘boy racers,’ who continue to ‘terrorise’ the local community in Ballinascreen ‘to stop’ before their anti-social driving inevitably ends in tragedy.
The plea was made after safety railings at the Diamond Area of Draperstown were reduced to a tangled mess (above) after a car smashed through them sometime in the early hours of Sunday morning.
A nearby lamppost was also hit during the crash which resulted in the bulb becoming loose and smashing on to the road’s surface.
The railings are close to the town’s roundabout which is a popular landmark for anti-social drivers to perform dangerous manoeuvres such as ‘donuts’.
Back in July 2002, a man was killed as a result of a two vehicle crash at the same roundabout.
In April, the PSNI vowed to step up patrols in the Draperstown area in a bid to crack down on reckless driving after a man was injured in a hit and run.
At that time, local Sinn Féin councillor Brian McGuigan called on anti-social drivers to desist from such ‘anti-community activities’.
Speaking last night, Mr McGuigan renewed his appeal.
He said: “Roundabouts are designed in a way in which drivers must drive carefully when crossing. It seems that reckless speed has played a major factor in this incident.
“Again, I call on so-called boy racers to desist from their anti-community activities as it will inevitably end in serious injury and tragedy.
“We need to show concern for everyone living in our community, pedestrians, motorists and passengers alike. Too often in the past, Ireland has witnessed serious tragedies with pedestrians being mowed down by reckless drivers when walking home from a night out. Those involved in these activities need to stop their reckless activity immediately.
“Their family members and peers need to try their best to exercise good influence and have them adopt a change of behaviour,” said the Sinn Féin man.
When contacted last night, the PSNI confirmed that they received no report from Sunday’s accident.
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