Teenager dies in crash on day he loses job

Jul 5 2009 by Robert Weatherall, Sunday Sun

A TEENAGER was killed in an horrific road crash on the day he lost his job.

Peter Pringle died instantly when the car he was driving left a quiet country road and hit a tree.

He was returning to the home he shared with his grandmother after finishing work for the last time.

The 17-year-old’s uncle, Robert Dodds, who worked alongside Peter said: “It was the last time he needed to travel along that road. He had been given his cards because there just isn’t enough work about.”

The pair worked at A&J Scott’s Sawmills at Wooperton, near Powburn, Northumberland, and Peter was travelling in his red Vauxhall Corsa along back roads to Alnwick on Friday when he lost control.

His is the second teenage death to shake the closely-knit town in just three weeks. In June, one of Peter’s best friends, 17-year-old Sam Gattens, was killed when his Vauxhall Corsa left a road also near Alnwick.

Grieving Robert, 35, said: “You just couldn’t make it up. A few weeks ago Peter was learning of the death of one of his best friends and now it has happened to him.”

Following close behind Peter when he crashed was cousin Paul Burn. Recounting the horrific moment Paul said: “He was travelling at about the same speed we were, which was 40 mph. When he left my sight he was fine but when we got round the corner the car had crashed. I don’t know what happened but he wasn’t speeding. I went over to the car and I wanted to get him out.

“I was in shock. A midwife who was travelling behind us phoned 999. Police came and were giving him mouth to mouth before an ambulance arrived.”

Robert, Peter and Paul had been travelling along the road in separate vehicles, with Robert just a couple of minutes in front. He said: “I got into Alnwick and Paul phoned me. He just said ‘Peter’s dead’. I couldn’t take it in at first because I had just been speaking to him earlier.