A teenager died after sustaining a head injury which was caused by his friend driving dangerously on a secluded country road, a court has heard.
Tragic William Sangster, 19, passed away following a collision between Adam Youngson’s car and a tree in Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire, on November 29 2014.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard on Wednesday how moments before the incident, another car being driven by Scott Neil,19, came close to the back of Youngson’s red Ford Fiesta.
Youngson reacted by accelerating away from Neil’s car.
However, Neil then broke the speed limit to keep up with Youngson, who had passed his driving test four months earlier.
However, Youngson – who ignored his passengers requests for him to drive carefully – lost control of his vehicle, causing it to leave the road.
Mr Sangster, of Auchnagatt, Aberdeenshire, was a back seat passenger in Mr Youngson’s car. Fire and Rescue staff had to cut him free. But doctors pronounced him dead at the scene.
His devastated sister Nicole was also present in the motor at the time of the incident.
The story emerged after Youngson, of Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire, pleaded guilty before judge Lady Wolffe to causing Mr Sangster’s death by driving dangerously on the A950 New Pitsligo to Mintlaw Road near to Aden Country Park.
His co-accused Neil, of Stuartfield, Aberdeen, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving at excessive and inappropriate speeds on the B9030 road.
Following Mr Sangster’s death, his family spoke of the “close” relationship he shared with them, particularly his sister Nicole, who was then aged 17.
Their statement said: “William came from a big extended family and he will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
“He was well-known as a larger than life character and always had a big smile on his face.
“He was very close to his sister, they did everything together.
“You would just always hear him laughing, he was popular with everyone, had lots of friends and was a devoted partner to his girlfriend.”
On Wednesday, prosecution lawyer Paul Brown told the court that shortly before the collision, Neil was driving a white Ford Fiesta on the B9030 road between Stuartfield and the junction with the A950.
Mr Brown said that it was dark but visibility was good and the road surface was damp.
Mr Youngson had earlier agreed to pick up Marcus Sutherland and William and Nicole Sangster from Auchnagatt.
They were travelling to Mintlaw. Mr Brown told the court: “During the journey, around the Old Deer area, the accused Youngson became aware of a vehicle travelling closely behind them and recognised the car registration number as belonging to the accused Neil.
“The accused Youngson reacted to the close proximity of the following vehicle by accelerating away. A gap was formed momentarily.
“The accused Youngson’s driving and speed began to cause concern for his passengers at this point.
“The accused Youngson then had to brake really hard when approaching the T junction with the Mintlaw to Banff road.
“During this journey the accused Neil’s vehicle kept up with the accused Youngson’s vehicle, in order to do so, he travelled at an excessive and inappropriate speed which was dangerous for the road conditions.
“The accused Youngson accelerated harshly from the junction causing the driven wheels to lose their traction with the road surface.
“Witness Marcus Sutherland felt uneasy and asked the accused Youngson to be aware of the road being wet and the fact that he had a full complement of passengers.
“Witness Nicole Sangster also stated ‘Aye ken, please watch.’
“The accused Youngson continued to accelerate towards the outskirts of Mintlaw. Whilst negotiating a slight right hand bend prior to the 30 miles per hour signs, witness Marcus Sutherland felt the rear ‘step out’ and quickly realised that the vehicle was carrying too much speed for the bend.
“He braced himself whilst trying to shield Nicole Sangster from harm.
“The car then slid in the opposite direction and began sliding towards the offside. The car left the road, collided with a BT junction box and thereafter the rear nearside of the vehicle struck a large mature tree, causing extensive damage to the vehicle, primarily to the rear nearside.”
Mr Brown also told the court that the emergency services came rushing to the scene. He added: “Witnesses Adam Youngson, Ashleigh Bruce and Marcus Sutherland managed to get out of the car whilst witnesses Nicole Sangster and the deceased had to be freed by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
“Adam Youngson flagged down a passing vehicle and asked them for help, urging them to call emergency services.
“Paramedic Fiona Harper and police witness Claire Taylor arrived soon after. The witness Sutherland told them that the accused Youngson was ‘driving like a t*t’ and that he was driving too fast.
“The deceased was trapped in the vehicle and sustained a significant head injury. He was extricated and was pronounced dead at the scene by the witness Doctor Hanson.”
The court heard that police launched an investigation and arrested Neil and Youngson.
Mr Brown added: “Collision investigators examined the accused Youngson’s vehicle and found that there were no contributory defects found in relation to the cause of the collision. Officers concluded that Youngson’s behaviour in the moments leading up to the incident could have caused the incident.
Judge Lady Wolffe told the two accused that she would defer sentence on them for the court to obtain reports.
She added: “It is important for me to be fully informed about all the circumstances concerning this incident.”
Neil’s defence counsel Gavin Anderson told Lady Wolffe that he would give his mitigation at the sentencing hearing.
Mr Youngson’s solicitor advocate Shahid Latif told the court that he would also reserve his mitigation to the sentencing hearing.
But he added: “My client at this stage wishes to offer his sincere apologies to the family, friends and anybody who has been affected by the death of Mr Sangster.”
Both Neil and Youngson will be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on June 1
