Teen Sobs as He Learns Fate After Crashing Stolen Jeep While High on MDMA, Killing 28-Year-Old Man By Becca Longmire

A teenager in Australia who killed a man in a high-speed collision after taking MDMA cried as he learned his fate in court, according to reports.

On Tuesday, Aug. 26, the teen — who is now 18 years old but cannot be named because he was 17 when he committed the crime — put his head in his hands and sobbed as he was sentenced to seven years in jail at the Victorian County Court, following the death of William Taylor, 28, on July 2, 2024, per the Australian Associated Press (AAP).

The teen had been weaving the stolen vehicle in and out of traffic at approximately 80 mph in an around 37 mph zone when he crashed into Taylor’s Toyota Corolla at the intersection of Highbury and Warrigal roads in the suburb of Burwood in Melbourne, the agency stated.

Taylor died at the scene, while the teenager — who didn’t have a license and was high on drugs at the time — and his five teenage passengers ran from the stolen car, per the AAP. The victim had been driving to soccer training at the time of his death.

Judge Justin Lewis told the teenager in court, “[The Taylor family’s profound loss] stands in stark contrast to whatever transient joy or pleasure you received from driving fast in traffic. I declare you must serve four years and six months before being eligible for parole,” per the Sydney Morning Herald.

On the evening of the crash, the teenager’s passengers, who were between ages 15 and 19, allegedly screamed at him to slow down and stop, but he just turned the music up, the outlet noted.

“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],’” Lewis said, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The teenager had picked up the stolen Jeep from near the Syndal train station, before driving around Melbourne, collecting his teenage passengers, per the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). The court heard he’d used an app on his phone to track Victoria Police’s Air Wing.

He then looked up news websites, as well as searching, “What is the punishment for a minor who commits involuntary manslaughter?” after the crash, according to the AAP.

The teen, whose mother also sobbed in court as her son was sentenced on Tuesday, had pleaded guilty to charges including culpable driving causing death, theft, and failing to render assistance in July, the Sydney Morning Herald noted. The judge said that without a guilty plea, he would have been sentenced to nine years behind bars.

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The teen had previously been arrested at his home the day after the crash, was bailed, and then brought back into custody after breaching his bail conditions, per the AAP. He was then released again in the month after the incident.

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During a court appearance in June, Taylor’s mom, Denise Taylor, paid tribute to her son and said his death “should never have happened,” according to the ABC.

“He did nothing wrong, but was cruelly and horrifically killed in an event that was completely avoidable,” she said.

The Victorian County Court didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.