Boy racers jailed after ‘worst case of dangerous driving’ killed teen
ATEENAGE boy racer who killed his passenger and injured four others in a head-on smash the day after he passed his driving test has been jailed, along with the friend who “egged him on”.
The 17-year-old, who can’t be named for legal reasons, ignored his passenger’s screams for him to slow down when he saw a “window of opportunity” to race his Fiesta.
The boy, who had even been warned twice by his teachers about his manner of driving, had been racing his friend, Thomas Henry Quick when he drove onto the opposite side of the B5105 carriageway between Clawydd Newydd and Ruthin on June 27 last year.
He hit an oncoming Mercedes at almost 80mph causing his car to overturn, killing 17-year-old Olivia Alkir instantly and seriously injuring two other teenage girls.
The 52-year-old driver of the Mercedes and his elderly mother were also badly hurt.
In the minutes before the smash, friends in a car behind the boy racers could be heard on dashcam saying: “They are going to die.
“We are going to drive past a burning wreck.”
At Mold Crown Court yesterday, the pair pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and to four counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving to sobs coming from the public gallery.
They were each locked up for five years.
Dashcam footage showed their recklessness in the hours leading up to the tragedy, with the boys dangerously overtaking each other on blind bends, their wheels even leaving the ground on several occasions.
Described by the judge as “one of the worst examples of dangerous driving one can imagine,” it even spurred him to pledge to write to the government asking for new legislation regarding newly qualified drivers.
John Philpotts, prosecuting, said Quick, who was 17 at the time of the crash, had been the “dominant one” of the two teens and had a reputation as a fast driver.
He was able to “manipulate” his pal, who had only passed his test the day before, and had “egged him on” to a race.
The court heard that on the fateful day the group of friends travelled in a convoy of three vehicles with Quick and the 17-year-old twice racing each other on a stretch near Llysfasi College while others filmed it.
The 17-year-old drove on the opposite side of the single carriageway and “won” on both occasions, boasting about his victory.
But friends commented that he “seemed to think he was invincible” after he reached speeds of up to 110mph on one occasion as he approached a 20mph zone. He also drove into a ditch after a near-miss with another car.
Quick, who had been driving a Ford Ka, told him: “I will have you on the Clawydd corners.”
And after spending the day at Llyn Brenig, the friends made their way to the B5105.
Quick went first, with the 17-yearold following, and “witness after witness” described how their driving had been “fast and reckless”, travelling at speeds between 70mph and 90mph.
The 17-year-old’s passengers were heard screaming for him to slow down in the minutes before the smash.
Olivia, an Ysgol Brynhyfryd pupil, was pronounced dead at the scene and the two other teenage girls suffered life-changing injuries including a ruptured bowel and several broken bones.
Mr Philpotts said that Quick changed his tyres the next day, but police managed to recover the original ones, which were found to be defective.
There were no mechanical defects found on the Fiesta.
The 17-year-old, who was also injured, said he had no memory of the accident or the day before or after.
Victim impact statements from Olivia’s parents, Joanna and Mesut, were read out by her mum in court, in which they explained how much she meant to them and that they are now just “waiting to die”.
Statements were also heard from the other four people who were injured and how the crash has changed their lives forever.
Defending the 17-year-old, Debra White said letters were presented to the court which showed another side to her client’s character.
She said he accepted that his actions have had “devastating consequences” for which he takes “full responsibility.”
He was a “quiet teen” who wouldn’t ordinarily take risks. He was hoping to go to university.
“Because of something I did, she lost her life and that will stay with me fovever. I wish I could turn back the clock,” he wrote. “I am so sorry.”
Dafydd Roberts, representing Quick – a school prefect – said he accepted responsibility.
In a letter he had written to the court, he said he feels “deep shame” about his “immaturity and arrogance” in the days leading up to the tragedy. He said he will “never be able to express how sorry I am”.
Mr Roberts said Quick was a person who highly achieved both academically and on the sporting field, and has aspirations to be a doctor.
“He was a trusted boy. Olivia’s parents trusted him,” Mr Roberts said, adding this was something he would have to live with for the rest of his life.
Passing sentence, Judge Niclas Parry told the teenagers that their actions had shattered Olivia’s family “beyond repair” and changed the lives of those injured forever.
He said the community had been “shaken to its core,” and described it as one of the “worst examples of dangerous driving one could imagine”.
Judge Parry said it was “purely down to your arrogance, selfishness and egotistical conduct”.
He said the teenagers had “ignored words of advice” and that the 17-yearold saw his chance to drive fast before his black box was fitted despite “screams of concern” from within the car.
He told them both they drove “without a care in the world for the safety of your passengers who were your close friends”.
He added: “Hauntingly, voices could be heard describing the inevitable consequences. Chillingly, one said ‘all our friends are going to die today.’”
Judge Parry added: “This serves as a warning to other young people often influenced by peer pressure of the significant danger of entering the vehicles of those who have made clear their determination to take deliberate risks.”
He described Olivia as “beautiful and adored,” and someone who was an “inspiration to others”.
He said the case must act as a deterrent for other youngsters, and pledged to write to the government to highlight the incident and ask for legislation to be introduced to ban newly qualified drivers from carrying more than one passenger for 12 months.
He also wants to see no newly qualified drivers being able to drive without a speed restriction device applied.
Judge Parry sentenced Quick and the 17-year-old to five years in custody – of which they will serve half before being released on licence.
They were also disqualified from driving for five years and 30 months.