Tributes paid to Drum man who died in Foreglen Road crash

Tributes have been paid to a man killed in a two-car crash on Monday morning.

Tributes have been paid to a man killed in a two-car crash on Monday morning.

It's thought that Ryan McCaul had been travelling to work when he was involved in the collision on the Foreglen Road.

The incident happened at around 6.30am on the A6, between Claudy and Dungiven.

The 31-year-old had battled cancer three times and survived a previous car crash a number of years ago.

He was described as a “natural sportsman” by his local gaelic club, St Colm's GAC, in Drum.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the club said:

“In his younger years, Ryan shone on the football field. He was a supremely talented forward, his pace and finishing ability marking him out through the underage grades as a future star.

“He had made several appearances for our seniors as a minor, and played again alongside Kieran for the reserves, before a serious accident cut short his playing career.

“That he survived and returned to the field for training a few years later to make an attempt at a return was testament to his undoubted strength of character.

“He always bore a smile and never lost his sense of fun and mischief. A great friend and neighbour, he will be sadly missed.”

Speaking to Q Radio, Ryan’s relative, Councillor Tony McCaul said:

"The family is absolutely devastated, the community is in shock and his parents grief is beyond words. 

"It's a devastating time for them and I'm sure that the communities in Gortnaghey and Drum will rally around to support them and offer all the help that they need."

Friends of Ryan have also taken to social media to pay tribute to “a true gentleman”, adding that he was someone who “always had a smile on his face”.

Inspector Pete Duncan has appealed to anyone who was travelling in the area and who may have witnessed the incident which involved a Ford Transit van and an Audi A3 car to contact Police at the Collision Investigation Unit on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference 172 05/12/16.