Kilrea man Ryan Bradley killed after rally car crashes into reservoir

Ryan Bradley died after the car he was in crashed into a wall and ended up in Lough Island Reavy reservoir near Castlewellan.

A second member of the crew was taken to hospital as a precaution, but he is not thought to be seriously injured.

The organisers of Down Rally, Rathfriland Motor Club, later confirmed that a competitor had lost his life in an accident at stage one of the event.

“The thoughts of Rathfriland Motor Club, and everyone involved with the event are with the family and friends of the deceased at this time,” it said in a statement on its website.

“As with all incidents of this nature, an investigation is now being carried out by the PSNI and appropriate local authority.

“Rathfriland Motor Club together with the sport’s governing body, the Motor Sports Association (MSA), are co-operating fully with the investigation.”