Edinburgh driver jailed after hit-and-run that killed 21-year-old man

A man who was driving at more than double the speed limit before fleeing the scene of a fatal crash has been jailed.

Ralph Fairhurst, 26, hit a pedestrian on Easter Road on June 19, 2022. The man, 21, was rushed to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh where he later died.

Fairhurst was traced by police later that same day. He has now been jailed for four years and six months for causing death by dangerous driving.

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Fairhurst, of Thorntreeside, Edinburgh, had three points on his licence for speeding at the time of the fatal crash. He admitted causing the death of the victim by driving dangerously by travelling at excessive speed and failing to maintain proper observations of the road ahead, when he appeared in at the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday (November 7).

He also admitted failing to stop after the collision. The court heard that the stretch of Easter Road where the fatality occurred is subject to a 20 mph speed limit — and that Fairhurst's Vauxhall Astra was travelling at more than 46 mph prior to the crash and was accelerating, according to collision investigators.

Road Policing Sergeant Paul Ewing said: "Our thoughts remain with family and friends of the young man that lost his life, and I hope that today’s sentencing brings them some comfort and allows them to move forward.

“Ralph Fairhurst showed absolutely no regard for the law and his reckless actions highlight the devastating consequences of dangerous driving and the lasting impact it has on those involved, along with their families and friends.”

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Advocate depute Chris McKenna told the High Court in Edinburgh earlier this year that Fairhurst was driving at excessive speed prior to the crash. He said: "His car struck Kyle Middlemass as he was crossing the road, resulting in a bang.

"The impact caused Kyle Middlemass to be thrown 10 to 20 metres into the air before he landed on the pavement at the junction with St Clair Street."

"The accused did not stop following the collision nor did he slow down. He did not activate his brakes before or after the collision," said the prosecutor.

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