Fred Bowden, 42, and Andrew Prowse, 46, were friends since schooldays. On July 12, 2008, they went out for a ride on their motorcycles, without thinking that only one of them will come back home alive.
Bowden strapped a video camera on the fuel tank of his Kawasaki ZX10R and followed Prowse, also riding a ZX10R for about 25 miles, until the latter smashed into a car and was thrown under an oncoming van. Several moments of speeding were caught on tape, until the accident happened.
Prowse died instantly after his legs and head were ripped off, while Bowden survived after he was knocked off by the flying wreckage of Prowse’s bike.
"This wild ride came to an end with the tragic death of your long-time and close friend, Andrew Prowse. What has been seen on the video was a prolonged course of dangerous driving with grossly high speeds and inappropriate overtaking,” Friday's Western Morning News quoted Judge Christopher Elwen as telling Bowden.
Though Bowden was caught speeding 30 times, including reaching speeds of 170mph, and pleaded guilty to the charge of dangerous driving, he escaped a jail term yesterday.
"Motorists were alarmed and afraid for their lives. You will have to live with this for the rest of your life. In view of exceptionally powerful mitigation, I will suspend the prison term for two years," the Judge added.
However, Sidney and Daphne Prowse, Andrew’s parents, defended Bowden in the Court. "What happened was not his [Bowden] fault. He is a man who would do anything for anyone. He is an extremely good man," they said.
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