A young mum has admitted causing the death of a teenager in a crash in Aberdeen.
Terry Crook died two years ago today when the blue Yamaha motorcycle he was riding was hit by Lisa Robertson’s car.
Mr Crook, who did not have a bike licence or insurance for the machine, was thrown more than 50ft through the air by the force of the impact.
The 18-year-old suffered massive head injuries after his helmet flew off and he was later pronounced dead at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
His 16-year-old girlfriend Jenna Gaudie, who was riding pillion on the bike, was also thrown through the air and landed more than 100ft away.
She survived the crash but suffered multiple serious injuries.
Yesterday, distraught Robertson, who was pregnant at the time of the crash, appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted causing Mr Crooks’s death by driving carelessly when she turned right into his path on July 16, 2013.
The court heard that at the time of impact it was estimated Mr Crook was travelling at speeds of up to 49mph in a 30mph limit.
Robertson, 25, shook uncontrollably in the dock and wiped back tears as Sheriff Alison Stirling was read the details of the tragic incident.
Fiscal depute Karen Dow said that on the evening of the crash weather conditions were good and visibility was clear.
She said that earlier in the day Mr Crook had visited one of the witnesses in the case, along with three other men, with the “pretence” of buying the bike.
She said that at around 5pm he was allowed to take the bike for a ride around the city.
About four hours later Mr Crook met up with Miss Gaudie and she joined him on the back of the Yamaha.
Ms Dow said she was not wearing a crash helmet and Mr Crook’s one had not been fastened properly.
Ms Dow said: “At the time of the collision the accused was driving her Volkswagen Polo motor car westward on Provost Rust Drive.
“As she turned, her car collided with the front of the motorcycle being ridden by Mr Crook and his passenger.”
Mr Crook, who lived in Torry, suffered a fractured skull and brain damage as a result of the crash and was pronounced dead at ARI at 10.08pm.
Police collision investigators who surveyed the scene said they believed Mr Crook would have been speeding at the time of the impact given the distances the pair were thrown.
Ms Dow said that because of Robertson’s position on the road there would have been no reason for her not to have seen Mr Crook approaching on the bike.
She said that investigations did, however, suggest that Mr Crook had been going faster than Robertson may have anticipated.
Ms Dow said that it was possible Robertson believed that she had time, given the distance Mr Crook was away from her and the 30mph speed limit, to carry out her turn safely.
The court heard that the young mum’s life had been “devastated” by the accident and that she wanted to express her sincere remorse to Mr Crook’s family, who were sitting in the public gallery.
Sheriff Stirling disqualified Robertson, of 5 Louden Place, Aberdeen, from driving and deferred sentence for background reports.
She will return to court next month.
Robertson was too upset to comment as she left court yesterday.