Teenagers deny racing before triple death smash

FOUR teenagers involved in a triple death crash in Mexborough vowed that they had not been racing immediately before the tragedy.

The hearing, at Doncaster Crown Court, heard that Jonathan Scott (17), Robert Tepper (17) and Lauren Birkett (16) were out driving with friends when their Corsa skidded into the path of an on-coming VW Golf on Adwick Road on December 27, 2010.

Jonathan and Robert died at the scene and Lauren was taken to Rotherham Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

The inquest head that driver ‘Jonno’ had over taken a Fiat Punto and was about to negotiate a bend when the Corsa skidded and spun onto the opposite side of the road.

The hearing at Doncaster Magistrate’s Court, heard from four other teenagers who had been in a Vauxhall Astra while out for a drive with their friends in the Corsa on the night of the crash.

Daniel Cotton, who was driving the Astra, had already over taken the Punto ahead of Jonathan when the crash happened

He told the court: “There was no racing. It was a steady drive. We had been following each other and stopping occasionally to have a chat.”

But Doncaster Coroner, Ms Nicola Mundy, also heard evidence from witnesses who described all three cars “racing” along Adwick Road before the accident at around 7.55pm.

Ms Mundy said that she was hearing “very different accounts” and adjourned the inquest to deliver her findings on Monday.

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