Fatal crash driver who raced at double the speed limit dodges jail

A SHOP manager who was involved in a high speed race which led to the death of his pal and his girlfriend today escaped jail and was instead ordered to carry out community service.

Philip Truong, 22, was driving at more than double the speed limit in the 30mph zone at Edinburgh's Frogston Road West when the fatal crash happened on July 21, 2009.

Zak Chan, 18, and Emily Chan, 18, died after Mr Chan's blue Mazda veered off the road and smashed into a tree.

A jury sitting at the High Court in Edinburgh found that Philip Truong, 22, was guilty of dangerous driving but he was cleared of causing the deaths of the two teenagers.

Judge Lord Bracadale told Truong: "You are not criminally responsible for the tragic, untimely and unnecessary deaths of Zak Chan and Emily Chan. That said the driving was extremely bad, it involved racing and driving at very high speed in a 30mph zone. The nature of the offence is such that a custodial sentence must be upmost in my mind. You are a young man with a good job and otherwise of good behaviour and you have shown remorse for your conduct that night and there is no question of drink or drugs being involved."

The Judge said he would impose 240 hours of community service to be completed within a year. He also banned Truong, a first offender, from driving for five years and ordered him to sit the extended driving test.

Defence advocate Ronnie Renucci said Truong had expressed his responsibility for his driving as well as the deaths of his friends.

He said: "Although he has been found to not be legally responsible, it does not mean he doesn't feel any moral responsibility. His attitude towards driving shows a clear change. This is something he is not likely to put behind him lightly. It is something he has to live with for the rest of his life and it is a matter which prays heavily on his mind."

During the trial 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 various different cars to go to a friend's flat.

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 came across 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 break 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.

Giving evidence Truong, a shop manager at William Hill's bookmakers, told the court he regretted everything that happened that night and that he had been speeding to "show off" to his friend.

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