‘Do you feel like you’re going to die?’ – dangerous driver’s chilling question to passenger before horror crash

A dangerous driver asked his passenger, “do you feel like you’re going to die”, before flipping his car in a horrific crash, a court heard.

Shyren Batziris, 20, admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving when he appeared at Lerwick Sheriff Court today (Wednesday).

The court heard how his passenger suffered “horrendous” injuries after his legs went through the window of Batziris’s overturned Mini.

The accused had been driving his friend at high speed through gales and heavy rain before losing control and colliding with the crash barrier of the A970 at Quarff.

Procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie said both the young man’s legs had experienced  “significant degloving” after scraping along the road.

Medical reports detailed how fragments of bone were missing, while glass had been embedded in his skin and bone.

The complainer underwent 12 hours of surgery, which involved bone reconstruction, skin grafts and muscle tissue being transferred from his body to his legs.

Surgeons told him he was lucky his limbs could be saved, although he was left with permanent scarring and long-term weakness to his ankles, as well as psychological trauma.

The court heard Batziris had collected his friend off the Whalsay ferry at Laxo at around 7.40pm on 10th January. They were planning to drive to Batziris’s home in Houlland Lea, Sandwick, for the evening.

Upon entering the vehicle, the complainer had noted the wind and rain made it difficult to see out of the window.

Despite the conditions, Mr MacKenzie said Batziris sped off at high speed, such that his friend felt immediately concerned.

The accused drove along stretches of single carriageway on the B9071fron Laxo, onto the A970 and then through the Blackgaet towards Quarff.

Mr MacKenzie said he drove dangerously close to other vehicles before overtaking at speed, causing his car to “fishtail”.

The court heard how the complainer “did not feel safe at all” and recalled seeing the speedo showing 110mph.

“At that point he was regretting the decision to get in the accused’s car,” said Mr MacKenzie.

“He asked the accused to slow down but that request was ignored and failed to elicit any response.”

Mr MacKenzie said the speeds would be considered “grossly excessive” even in “benign, clement” weather – let alone the gales of that dark night.

Shortly before crashing, Mr MacKenzie said Batziris asked his friend: “Do you feel like you’re going to die? “

Batziris then overtook a VW Golf, driven by a father whose seven-year-old son was in the back.

The Mini was estimated to be travelling at 80mph at this point.

While speeding along a downhill bend, Mr MacKenzie said the accused lost traction, struck the roadside crash barrier, was thrown back into the carriageway, where it overturned.

The fiscal said the force of hitting the crash barrier caused the passenger window to smash and the complainer’s legs were forced out of the window where they scraped along the road.

“That caused horrific injuries to both legs,” he said.

The complainer’s jeans were completely shredded and he could see his skin had been scraped back, exposing muscle and bone.

He was screaming in pain, the court heard.

The Golf soon arrived on the scene and the child passenger dialed 999 while his father tried to offer comfort and reassurance to the injured man.

Mr MacKenzie said Batziris was repeatedly apologising to his injured friend.

Other drivers arrived to offer assistance, followed by the police, two ambulances and two fire crews.

The complainer had to be cut free from the wreckage and both he and Batziris were taken to the Gilbert Bain Hospital.

The accused’s injuries were relatively minor, but the complainer had to be transferred to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for orthopaedic and plastic surgery.

Mr MacKenzie spoke to the complainer in September and was told that while his was making a slow physical recovery, psychologically he is “not doing particularly well” with regular flashbacks and nightmares.

He has been unable to return to fulltime work, requires ongoing pain management and cannot stand for long periods of time. 

His ankles injuries need their dressings changed twice daily.

The fiscal said Batziris co-operated fully with police.

After being arrested he gave a “full and frank account” of his driving.

Mr MacKenzie said his responses showed he accepted his driving had been of a “poor standard indeed”.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank said it had been a serious incident, which had led to a passenger sustaining “horrendous injuries”.

Sheriff Cruickshank said he would reserve further comments for sentencing and adjourned the case for the preparation of reports.

Batziris will appear for sentencing on 17th January. He has been disqualified from driving until then.