Teen driver caused friend's death in Inverness crash

A teenage driver caused the death of his best friend in a crash months after he obtained his licence.

Connor Lawless was driving at excessive speed on the A9 near North Kessock, Inverness, when he braked heavily and caused the three-vehicle crash.

His front-seat passenger, 16-year-old Gregor McIntosh suffered fatal injuries and died later in hospital.

At the High Court in Edinburgh Lawless admitted causing his friend's death by driving without due care and attention.

A second man, Stuart Thomson, of Muir of Ord, admitted careless driving by driving at excess speed and failing to maintain a safe distance.

The 50-year-old was driving a Nissan Juke which struck the back of Lawless's vehicle when he braked.

They were both originally charged with death by dangerous driving but the Crown amended the charges.

The court was told that the crash happened on 20 December 2019.

Lawless, who was 17 at the time, picked up his friend from his home at 18:00.

He was driving a Vauxhall Corsa north on the A9 when he failed to comply with road signs to use a designated filter lane for vehicles turning right at the B9161 Munlochy junction.

When he braked heavily, the vehicle was struck by a Nissan Juke.

He then moved on to the southbound carriageway and collided with a Volkswagen Polo being driven by Alexandrina Bain, 77, who was unable to avoid the crash.

She suffered a number of fractures in the collision.

Advocate depute Stephanie Ross told the court: "Gregor McIntosh was 16 years old at the time of his death and was the best friend of the accused Connor Lawless. He resided at home with his parents and sister."

Ms Ross said the teenager was training to be a carpenter and joiner and was in good health.

The prosecutor told the court that Lawless, from Inverness, was an apprentice engineer and added: "He obtained his driving licence on July 8 in 2019, five months before the collision, and was therefore classed as a new driver."

Accident investigators said the first collision was caused by the Corsa braking suddenly and that Thomson tried to avoid a collision but was unable to because he was travelling too close to Lawless' vehicle.

They also found the collision between the Corsa and the Juke played no part in the second crash.

"The path the Corsa took thereafter is due to the input of the driver. The Corsa was steered to the right and travelled through the junction," the prosecutor said.

Solicitor advocate Iain McSporran QC, for Thomson, told the court: "The collision investigators have now confirmed that the collision between the Corsa and Juke played no causal part in the second collision."

The judge, Lord Richardson, deferred sentence for the preparation of background reports. The case is due to next call at the High Court in Aberdeen next month.