Teen who killed friend days after driving test jailed

A speeding teenager whose dangerous driving caused the death of his friend just days after passing his test has been jailed.

Max Greenhouse, 17, died when the Vauxhall Corsa being driven by Joe McCaldon lost control and smashed into a wall on Fir Tree Lane in Aughton, Lancashire. Two other passengers were injured in the crash on 11 December 2024.

McCaldon was sentenced at Preston Crown Court to four years' detention after being convicted of causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

The 18-year-old, from Lydiate on Merseyside, was also disqualified from driving for eight years.

The court heard how McCaldon, then 17, had passed his driving test only six days before the fatal crash.

McCaldon picked Max up before collecting two other friends - aged 16 and 17 - and driving to nearby Clieves Hill in Aughton.

He later drove away from Clieves Hill, speeding down a country lane before losing control and crashing into a farmhouse's stone wall shortly after 21:00 GMT.

Witnesses described hearing a bang as the car struck the wall before McCaldon shouted: "I need to get out."

The teenager and his three passengers all suffered serious injuries and were taken to hospital, where Max died.

A subsequent police investigation found McCaldon would have been travelling at 57mph or more.

The bend where he lost control of his vehicle could easily have been navigated had he have been driving within the 40mph speed limit, police said.

Max was described as a "loving boy" in a family statement.

"He had his whole life ahead of him - his plans, his dreams, his future all taken away in an instant."

They said Max "was a caring boy who brought so much warmth and kindness into the lives of everyone who knew him.

"The actions of one individual have torn our world apart in a way that words can barely describe.

"No sentence can ever make up for the loss we now live every single day.

"There will always be an empty space in our lives where he should be - at home with us, laughing with his friends, growing into the person he was meant to become.

"We hope this case serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences dangerous driving can have.

"One reckless decision can destroy lives - not only for those directly involved, but for the families and communities left behind.

"Max deserved the chance to live his life.

"That chance has been taken from him - and from us - forever."

Det Sgt Joe Ghigi, of Lancashire Police, said: "McCaldon's choice to drive dangerously, without care for those in his car or around him, took his friend's life.

"McCaldon has not only deprived Max of his life, but has significantly impacted the lives of his friends who were also in the car, and his own life too."

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