Friends' warnings, a lucky escape - then days later 'invincible' driver, 17, was killed

Steven Anderson, 17, had picked up the Renault Clio as a replacement for his previous car, which he wrote off when he crashed into a wall last week.

It is thought he did not even wait to get the new car insured before he took it out on to the roads. But after showing it off to friends, he collided with a people carrier on a country road and died instantly.

A friend, who asked not to be named, said: "Stevie was fearless. He thought he was invincible when he was out driving. Even crashing his car didn't put him off.

"We were always telling him to calm down and go slower, but he wouldn't listen. He thought he would always walk away from crashes.

"It's a tragedy, because he was such a great guy. We're all going to miss him."

Steven, from Drumoak in Aberdeenshire, got his driving licence as soon as he turned 17 a few months ago.

He landed his dream job as an apprentice motor mechanic at a garage in nearby Banchory and he would spend his time tinkering with cars and motorbikes. Friends said he used to love buying vehicles and souping them up.

At the end of last week, he wrote off his Peugeot 106 when he slammed into a dyke on a back road outside Banchory.

Steven then decided to buy himself a 16-valve, 1.8-litre Renault Clio on Sunday morning.

He told friends that he could not get it insured, but he took it out for a spin anyway to let them see it.

However, the trip ended in tragedy when he hit a Citron Picasso, carrying a family of four and travelling in the opposite direction on the A93 Aberdeen to Banchory road.

The family were taken to hospital, but their injuries are not thought to be life threatening.

However, Steven was pronounced dead at the scene and his new car was left a mangled wreck. Flowers and tributes were left at the scene of the crash yesterday.

Ian Duguid, 18, said: "He's been my best friend for as long as I can remember.

"He was mad about his cars - they were his life. I don't know what he would have done if he couldn't drive."

At the Framor Garage, Steven's boss said: "He has always loved cars. He was just a normal teenager.

"He worked for me for a year and a half and the whole thing is devastating."

Steven's mother, Wilma, his father, Derek, and his three sisters were being comforted at home yesterday. Mrs Anderson did not want to talk about the accident but said: "We've got a lot of memories to treasure."

Police are still investigating the collision. Inspector Ian Kirkwood said: "Our inquiries into this tragic accident are at an early stage.

"Officers are interviewing witnesses and the scene is being examined. Hopefully, this will allow us to determine what happened."