Gerry Adams today appealed to witnesses to a fatal road accident in west Belfast involving a police Land Rover to help Northern Ireland’s Police Ombudsman establish what exactly happened.

The Sinn Féin president urged witnesses to co-operate with an investigation by Nuala O’Loan’s investigative team following concerns in his constituency about the death on Saturday of 29-year-old Jim McMenamin.

It is the second time this year Mr Adams has called on nationalists and republicans to co-operate with solicitors and the Police Ombudsman in an investigation.

He made a similar appeal following the murder in January of Belfast father-of-two Robert McCartney.

Mr McMenamin was struck by a police Land Rover, responding to an emergency, on the Upper Springfield Road at around 1am.

Police officers administered first aid to Mr McMenamin, who lived in the area, but he died at the scene.

Sinn Féin has said local residents were concerned about police behaviour during the incident.

“There is serious disquiet in the local community, shared by the family, that the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) handling of Saturday’s incident gives cause for real concern,” the West Belfast MP said.

“Many serious questions need to be answered about the circumstances surrounding the killing of Jim McMenamin, the role of the PSNI and its behaviour immediately after the incident.

“The family wants no cover-up. They want the truth.”

The accident was referred immediately to the Police Ombudsman, and a team was at the scene shortly after it happened.

Mr Adams said his colleagues had been in contact with the Ombudsman’s office and the local community.

“I am appealing to anyone who saw anything, or who has any information, to bring that forward to the Office of the Police Ombudsman which is carrying out an investigation into this incident,” he said.

“It is important that this is done in conjunction with a solicitor and members of my staff this morning have spoken both to the Office of the Police Ombudsman and to local community groups to try and ensure that all of this is done speedily.”

On Saturday, the Ombudsman dispatched forensic scientists and scenes of crime officers to the scene of the accident which was videoed and photographed.

The police Land Rover and exhibits were removed for forensic analysis.

Door to door inquiries were also carried out yesterday near the scene of the tragedy.

“We would still be keen to speak to anyone in the area and particularly anyone who may have seen the accident,” a spokesman for the Police Ombudsman’s office said today.

On Saturday SDLP councillor for the area, Tim Attwood, said the death was a “terrible tragedy” and urged the Ombudsman to conduct the enquiry speedily and publish its full conclusions.