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Community in mourning after petrol station crash death

News imagePSNI A close up image of a man with grey hair. He is wearing a navy top with a blue collar. PSNI
Gerard Rafferty, known as Jock, from the Coalisland area, died at the scene

A local community in County Tyrone has been left "devastated" after a man was killed when a car crashed through a petrol station shop window.

71-year-old Gerard Rafferty, known as Jock, died a short time after emergency services attended the scene in Clonoe on Wednesday.

BBC News NI understands he was outside the shop when he was struck by the car.

Councillor Malachy Quinn said the events were "a shocking moment for everybody".

News imageA wide shot of a petrol station forecourt, in the middle distance is a shop with SPAR in red letters and the green fir tree logo of the shop. An ambulance is parked outside on the right of the image, to its left a grey car can be seen in the shop window, behind it are other vehicles which are black and grey. In the foreground is a police car.
The car crashed through a window in the side of the petrol station shop in Clonoe, County Tyrone

He added that the community has been affected "badly".

Emergency services, including the Charity Air Ambulance, were called to the Moor Road area of the village at 12:20 GMT on Wednesday.

Quinn, from the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) said he knows some of the staff who work in the shop: "I know how devastated they are, I think it's probably one of the worst experiences of their lives."

"Unfortunately this morning we have a local family that are in mourning, something that they certainly didn't expect to happen," he said.

Quinn said he knew 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 were "very well thought of and held in high regard".

The councillor said local residents would be very willing to help the bereaved family in the days to come.

Canon Benny Fee, the parish priest for Clonoe, said Gerard Rafferty was a "fine good man".

He said he was thinking of his family and also thanked the emergency services.

"We pray for all on such a day of sadness and shock, a tragedy," he added.

Family 'devastated'

News imageEimear Carney. She has dark long hair and is wearing a black, red and brown patterned jacket with a black top underneath. She is standing by the SPAR.
Eimear Carney says Jock was "a lovely man"

Sinn Féin Cllr, Eimear Carney offered her sympathy to the family of Gerard Rafferty.

She said his wife, children and grandchildren were "the light of his life" and they have been left "devastated".

"Jock was a lovely man. His family were his pride and joy," she added.

Carney said he was "very well known" and "really well liked" by the community.

"He loved playing bingo in the local hall."