An Australian teenager has been sentenced to seven years in prison for causing a deadly high-speed crash that killed 28-year-old William Taylor, leaving his family devastated.
On Tuesday, Aug. 26, the now-18-year-old — who cannot be named because he was 17 at the time of the incident — broke down in tears as Judge Justin Lewis handed down the sentence at the Victorian County Court, according to the Australian Associated Press (AAP). He must serve at least four years and six months before being eligible for parole.
The fatal crash happened on July 2, 2024, in the Melbourne suburb of Burwood. According to reports, the teen had been driving a stolen Jeep at approximately 80 mph in a 37 mph zone, weaving in and out of traffic before slamming into Taylor’s Toyota Corolla at the intersection of Highbury and Warrigal roads.
William Taylor, who was on his way to soccer training, died at the scene. The teenager, who was high on MDMA and driving without a license, fled from the wreck alongside his five teenage passengers, all between 15 and 19 years old.
Judge Lewis condemned the teen’s actions in court, telling him, “[The Taylor family’s profound loss] stands in stark contrast to whatever transient joy or pleasure you received from driving fast in traffic.”
The court also heard chilling details about the moments before the crash. The passengers in the stolen Jeep repeatedly begged the driver to slow down, but he ignored their pleas and instead turned the music up louder.
“Your passengers had repeatedly told you to stop. They started screaming for you to stop, but you kept saying, ‘Nah, I’m going to make it [through an intersection],’” Judge Lewis said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Investigators revealed that the teen picked up the stolen Jeep near Syndal train station and spent the evening driving around Melbourne, collecting his friends. At one point, he even used an app on his phone to track Victoria Police’s Air Wing and, after the crash, searched online for “What is the punishment for a minor who commits involuntary manslaughter?”
The teen pleaded guilty in July to multiple charges, including culpable driving causing death, theft, and failing to render assistance. Without the plea, Judge Lewis said the sentence would have been nine years.
William Taylor’s mother, Denise Taylor, delivered a heartbreaking tribute to her son during a June hearing, saying his death “should never have happened.”
“He did nothing wrong, but was cruelly and horrifically killed in an event that was completely avoidable,” she said.
The case has left Melbourne shaken, with locals mourning the loss of a young man whose life was cut short by reckless decisions.
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Author: thedailycrime1
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