Fatal Crash and Court Proceedings
A grieving mother expressed hope that her son's death in a 108mph crash would serve as a "lesson for other people."
Ben Taylor, aged 19, was a passenger in an Audi RS3 when the driver, Josh Buchan, lost control of the vehicle on the outskirts of Aberdeen in 2022.
Buchan, 26, pleaded guilty to causing the teenager's death and also admitted to driving at speeds up to 125mph on a previous occasion.
At the High Court in Aberdeen, Judge Buchanan deferred sentencing to allow for background reports and remanded Buchan in custody.
Following the hearing, Ben's mother, Trudi Walsh, described her son as a "generous soul" and urged young people to "think twice" before driving.
Details of the Charges and Incident
First-time offender Buchan, from Aberdeen, was initially charged with driving at speeds up to 194mph on occasions prior to the fatal crash on South Deeside Road, and at up to 118mph at the time of the crash.
On Tuesday, the mechanic admitted amended charges of driving at up to 125mph on a previous occasion and causing the death of his rear seat passenger in September 2022 by driving dangerously on the B9077 road at speeds up to 108mph.
Advocate depute Lindsey Dalziel, representing the Crown, stated that a victim impact statement detailed the "devastating" loss suffered by the family of the Banchory victim.
She explained that Buchan was driving a black high-performance Audi RS3, which has a top speed of 155mph.
The court heard that Buchan lost control on a bend, causing the car to become airborne and crash into trees.
Buchan and another passenger were able to exit the vehicle, but Ben Taylor died inside from head injuries.
It was agreed that the vehicle was traveling at 108mph as it approached the bend, and the impact with the trees occurred at approximately 93mph.
Collision investigators concluded that the manner of driving caused the loss of control.
Evidence and Court Statements
The court was informed that the victim's mother later discovered a video clip showing the Audi's dashboard indicating speeds up to 125mph on a previous occasion.
Buchan acknowledged that he was the driver in the video, which was filmed in the Aberdeen area.
Defence counsel Neil Shand stated that Buchan recognized the "utterly devastating" impact of his actions and was "truly sorry."
Judge Buchanan remarked that everyone acknowledged the consequences of Buchan's actions and his "disgracefully" high speed.
Sentencing was deferred until the following month.
Mother's Statement and Appeal
After the court proceedings, the victim's mother spoke about her son, who had twin brothers Jon and Sam aged 21, describing him as "such a generous soul."
"Most importantly, I want this to be a lesson for other people, such as Josh, that there are consequences.
I just don't want it to be wasted.
I just want people to think twice before they go out. There's too many of these accidents happening now.
I know Josh is somebody else's son, but driving like that is a choice. And the way he was driving, he'd have been as well having a gun that day."
She added: "It will never get easier."
