Teen caused death of best pal in crash
But family of tragic Billy remain supportive of friend
A teenager caused the death of his“best friend” in a horror crash when his car left the road and rolled several times as they drove home in the early hours.
But the parents of 18-yearold victim Billy Haggart were said to be “supportive” of the accused, 19-year-old Bradley Wallace, Perth Sheriff Court was told.
“They feel...he has already suffered enough and will have to live with the consequences for the rest of his life,” stated depute fiscal David Barclay.
Wallace, an uninsured driver, was at the wheel of the Ford Focus he had recently purchased and was driving Billy, a front seat passenger, and three other friends – all from the Blairgowrie area home from a late night trip to the cinema.
They had watched a film in Dundee, which finished at 1am, and had then gone to a fast food outlet.
As the vehicle negotiated a right-hand bend, however, Wallace, who had passed his test less than two months earlier, lost control.
“It’s not suggested that he was travelling in excess of the speed limit but it appears that he has taken the corner too fast,” explained the fiscal. Billy Haggart was killed when a car driven by his friend Bradley Wallace left the road in July last year
His driving inexperience is likely to have played a part.”
The passengers were aware of the accused trying to “correct” the steering, but the car left the A923 DundeeCoupar Angus road, near Tullybaccart Farm access road, struck the verge and “flipped over a number of times”.
The vehicle came to rest the correct way up in a field, close to a car parking area.
Mr Barclay added: “The accused immediately contacted the emergency services and passers-by stopped to assist.
“Ambulance personnel attended to assist Billy who was clearly in a life-threatening
condition. He was slumped forward and unconscious within the car.”
His breathing was restricted and he was rushed to Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital.
But despite the “best efforts” of medical staff, they were unable to save him.
The court heard he had an “unsurvivable traumatic brain injury and was in ongoing cardiac arrest”.
The accused and the three passengers were also taken to hospital but escaped with minor injuries and were allowed home.
Wallace, of Glendevon Court, Rattray, will be sentenced on August 29 after Wallace leaves court on Tuesday
a background report has been prepared. He has been disqualified from driving meantime.
He admitted causing the death of Mr Haggart, an apprentice panel beater/ paint sprayer, by driving carelessly near Pitcur on July 22, 2017.
The charge indicated that while negotiating a bend at speed, which was excessive for the road lay-out, he mounted the verge and overturned several times.
He also pled guilty to a second charge of having no insurance.
The accused, an apprentice joiner, later told police that he had been driving at between 50-60mph when the back end of his car “kicked out” on the right-hand bend.
He tried to correct it and must have hit the kerb.
“He thinks it rolled around five times,” explained the fiscal.
“He was unconscious when it was rolling over.”
Police crash investigators examined the vehicle but there were no pre-collision defects and there was no evidence of the accused being on his mobile phone prior to the smash.
In their opinion, the accused was “at fault” for the accident and the reasons may have been inexperience, inappropriate speed or coarse steering.
A victim impact statement was issued to the parents of the deceased, who live in the Coupar Angus area.
However, they indicated that they would not be submitting one, nor would they be attending court as they would find the experience “too hard to bear.”
The depute fiscal added: “Billy’s parents have indicated from the outset that they are supportive of the accused and they continue to be on good terms with him.
“They regard this as a terrible, if heart-breaking, accident.”
Solicitor Mike Tavendale, for the accused, will give his plea in mitigation after the background report has been prepared.