Oonagh Murphy's head wounds after the high speed hit and run that also left sister Fiona unconscious in the road during a training ride the weekend before last.
Best known for his prowess in the green if Ireland competing in triathlon all over the world, leading triathlete Conor Murphy is now in a fight of a different kind.
The international athlete has launched an online appeal to try to find the driver than ran over his two sisters while they were out training on their bikes and then left the scene.
Murphy has shared images on his social media accounts of a car filmed near the scene of the crime that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is trying to trace to eliminate the driver and vehicle from its investigation.
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The collision occurred in Portadown, Co Armagh, two weeks ago, with Fiona (25) and Oonagh (28) suffering horrific injuries.
Oonagh, left, and Fiona were on a training ride when run over almost two weeks ago.
Murphy described Oonagh’s injuries as “life changing” and is pleading for anyone who may have witnessed the crash or its aftermath or may have seen the vehicle now being sought to come forward and supply information to the PSNI.
Both young women were cycling towards Moy, Co Tyrone, on the evening of last Saturday week, June 27th, when they were hit by an overtaking car just after 7.30pm.
“Oonagh sustained horrific life-changing injuries; damaged nervous system, broken bones and deep lacerations,” Murphy said.
“They were smashed into at high speed by a hit and run driver on the Moy Road in Portadown (juts over 1km) past the Scotch Street filling station, heading towards the Moy.”
The Murphys: Conor with his sisters. He seems determined to get as much help as he can to catch the driver who injured them before driving off.
Oonagh, who was hit first and sent crash off her bike at speed, is a junior doctor and was scheduled to begin working at Craigavon Hospital. Instead, she is now a patient at the hospital with a recovery period of several months ahead of her.
“The driver indiscriminately smashed into the girls, who were cycling in single file in a safe manner five metres in front of the other, on a flat wide straight part of the road with no other obstacles and no oncoming traffic,” said Murphy.
“The driver of the car then slowed down briefly to look the carnage they created behind them then sped off towards Moy.”
While Oonagh was most seriously injured, Fiona was left unconscious in the middle of the road bleeding heavily from her head, face and body.
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Even the road rash and bruising sustained by the women looks extremely painful.
While suffering from deep abrasions and bad bruising, she has been able to help the appeal for information that might solve the crime.
She said she saw a dark-coloured car – believed to be a Vauxhall or Opel Astra G - slowing down following the collision before driving off.
"I have cuts and bruises and I'm a wee bit sore but Oonagh is bad enough – she must have landed on her face," she said of her sister whose injuries include a dislocated shoulder and broken cheekbone and a face wound that required 12 stitches.
"Everybody is just hoping that Oonagh gets a bit better. We're concerned about her. I just get a bit upset thinking about her."
She added she was grateful to the passersby who stopped to help herself and Oonagh and the emergency workers who rushed to the scene.
Conor Murphy enjoys a relaxed moment during an Irish team training camp with fellow international triathlete Aileen Morrison-Reid.
Conor Murphy said a number of cars in the area at the time have been traced and eliminated but the Vauxhall or Opel Astra G was still unaccounted for.
The vehicle is believed to date between 1998 and 2004 and is a five-door black model with silver wheel trims or alloy wheels.
A wing mirror found at the scene is thought to be from the car that hit the women, and the front left body work of that vehicle may also be damaged.
Murphy believes car involved was seen on the Garvaghy Road around ten minutes before his sisters were hit and left injured in the road at 7:31pm near the entrance to the local public park.
After leaving the scene, the driver travelled up Garvaghy Road and onto Moy Road.
Murphy has appealed for those people who may have information to contact him on 0773 648 7676 or to ring Portadown police station.
Car sought for elimination purposes
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