82mph road race show-off didn't kill teen pals

A SHOP manager found guilty of racing with his friend, who crashed killing himself and his girlfriend, could still face a prison sentence.

• Friends mourn Zak Chan and Emily Chan, who died in race

Zak Chan, 18, and Emily Chan, 18, died after Mr Chan's blue Mazda veered off the road and crashed into a tree at Edinburgh's Frogston Road West on July 21, 2009.

A jury sitting at the High Court in Edinburgh found that Philip Truong, 22, was guilty of dangerous driving.

He was cleared of causing the deaths of the two teenagers however, and the jury found that he had been driving at excessive speed and racing with Mr Chan.

Even though he has been cleared of the more serious charge of death by dangerous driving, Truong could still face a prison sentence.

The court heard that Truong, Emily and Zak and others had all been out for a family meal and that they had all left together in different cars to go to a friend's flat.

During the trial, Truong admitted he had been "showing off", and thought he was doing between 40mph and 50mph.

He also admitted overtaking two cars and said he did it to show off to Mr Chan.

"I was being young and stupid," he said.

Witness Gary Young, 46, told the court how the weather on the night of the crash had been bad and there had been a thunderstorm.

He said he had been driving when he saw two cars coming in his direction side-by-side.

He said: "They were going much faster than I would normally experience. I got this intuitive feeling I am going to be hit. I started to brake and the car coming towards me, the rear end started to lose control."

Mr Young added there had been a loud bang and that was his car impacting with one of the cars coming towards him.

He said he was able to get out of his car and turned to see the other car was in a ditch against trees.

The court also heard from Pc Alistair Bain, 50, who said the Mazda car Mr Chan had been driving had been analysed, revealing that five seconds before the airbag inflated the vehicle was travelling at 82mph - more than twice the limit.

Giving evidence, Truong told the court he regretted everything that happened that night and that he had been speeding to "show off" to his friend.

Shocked friends erected a makeshift shrine at the site of the crash. They said Zak, who was studying information technology at Napier University, and Emily, who had just started a fashion degree at Heriot-Watt University, had been "completely in love".

Truong, of Southhouse Close, Edinburgh, had denied the allegation against him.

Defence advocate Alastair Brown said Truong was a shop manager at William Hill's bookmakers. He added that what happened that night had a lot to do with immaturity and that Truong had nothing but sympathy for the family and friends of Emily and Zak.

Judge Lord Bracadale deferred sentence for background reports until April 20.