‘Scared’ teen’s chilling final ‘I could not survive tonight’ textual content earlier than crash dying

Erin Slane, 19, texted friends ‘I may not survive tonight. I’m scared. Kyle is steaming’ moments before she was killed in a 119mph crash caused by a drunk driver

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A terrified woman sent a text to her friends saying: “I may not survive tonight” just moments before she was killed in a crash caused by a drunk driver. Erin Slane, 19, sent the chilling message while travelling as a passenger in 23-year-old Kyle Patrick’s Ford Fiesta ST-3 turbo on 1 September 2024.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Miss Slane had sent the ominous text as Patrick was reaching speeds of up to 119 miles per hour on a remote Perthshire road. Prosecutor Graeme Jessop KC informed judge Lord Harrower that Patrick was speeding along the B9099 Luncarty to Stanley road when he lost control of the vehicle and it veered off the road.

The car then plummeted down a grassy embankment into a field, rolling several times before finally coming to rest on its roof, reports the Daily Record.

Patrick survived the horrific crash, and Erin’s friend Keira Jones, also 19, managed to escape from the wreckage with injuries. Tragically, however, Miss Slane did not survive.

Police subsequently launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident and discovered that Patrick had spent the evening drinking with friends in Perth city centre. Investigators who took a blood sample found he was more than three times over the drink driving limit at that time.

They also discovered that he had been offering lifts home. He then collected Miss Slane and Miss Jones and embarked on a car journey which Mr Jessop described as being at “excessive speed.”

Mr Jessop stated: “During the journey, Erin Slane, the deceased, sent a couple of text messages to her friend group. At 0157 hours, she sent a message stating: ‘I may not survive tonight. I’m scared. Kyle is steaming.’

“At 0205 hours, she wrote: ‘Kyle is steaming.’

“The fatal collision occurred about 0210 hours as the accused was driving his car towards Stanley on the B9099, Luncarty to Stanley Road, near to its junction with Gowrie Farm.

“The accused lost control of the vehicle whereby it crossed the opposing carriageway, left the road way, continued through wire fencing, down the grass embankment to a field, before rolling several times and coming to rest on its roof.

“The car was extensively damaged by impacts.

“At 0251 hours, the accused called Police Scotland stating he had been involved in a collision, he was the driver and had been drinking alcohol before so should not have been driving.

“He stated that he had pulled a passenger out of the car – the witness Keira Jones – and was so sorry for driving.

“Police, Fire Service and Ambulance crews attended a short time later.

“Upon their arrival, there was nothing they could do for Erin Slane who was clearly deceased still within the passenger seat of the car.”

The details surfaced after Patrick, from Scone, Perthshire, admitted to a charge of causing Miss Slane’s death and serious injury to Miss Jones by driving dangerously while being impaired through drink.

The charge also outlined how he travelled at excessive speeds on the same evening.

On Friday, Mr Jessop informed the court that on the evening of 31 August 2024, Patrick’s parents were absent from their home for the night and he had mates round for drinks and takeaway food.

Patrick then transported his friends into Perth at approximately 6.30pm and he and his companions visited several pubs.

Mr Jessop continued: “The accused was seen to consume alcohol including buying and and consuming some pints of beer and lager and some shot drinks.

“About 2330 hours, the accused attended the Slante Bar on his own. He spoke to the bar attendant who observed him to be unsteady on his feet. He told her he was drink.

“Just before midnight the accused left the pub and walked to his parked car.”

The court heard that there was a lengthy queue of people at a taxi rank in Mill Street, Perth. Patrick was spotted pulling his vehicle up at the front of the taxi queue, opened his passenger window and offered a lift to anybody who wanted one.

A 17 year old lad accepted a ride to Bankfoot.

Describing this journey, Mr Jessop said: “During the journey, the accused stalled his car on two occasions and drove at speeds of up to 85 miles per hour on a section of the A9 road where the maximum speed limit was 50 mph.

“When they arrived at the boy’s home address, the boy gave the accused £10 for the lift. The accused then drove back from Bankfoot to Perth City Centre.”

The court was told that around 1.45am, the accused drove into South Street, Perth and parked directly outside a pub named ‘That Bar’.

Mr Jessop stated that at this time, Miss Slane, Miss Jones and three other friends decided to leave That Bar. They all intended to stay overnight at a friend’s house in Scone.

However, the court heard that Miss Slane and Miss Jones chose to return to Stanley to collect alcohol and meet the other three friends at the house in Scone.

They struck up a conversation with Patrick who agreed to drive them to Stanley and then back to Scone.

The fatal crash occurred just a short while later.

Mr Jessop explained that collision investigators and two members of Police Scotland’s Cybercrime Division removed the infotainment module from Patrick’s Ford Fiesta. They analysed the speed information recorded on the device for the vehicle’s final journey.

Mr Jessop said that analysis of this data revealed Patrick had reached speeds of up to 55 miles per hour in a 20 mile per hour zone in South Street Perth. The vehicle also travelled at 68 miles per hour in a nearby 30 miles per hour limit zone and 84 miles per hour in a 40 mph limit.

:”After exiting the village of Luncarty the vehicle continued north towards the right hand bend.

“Following the bend the vehicle’s speed is seen to increase quickly and steadily up to the highest recorded speed on the journey of 119 miles per hour a very short distance before the collision.”

Miss Slane who died two days before her birthday suffered from blunt force head injuries as a result of being a front seat passenger in the collision.

The court heard that she was due to begin studying at Napier University on 14 September 2024.

Mr Jessop added: “These factors being the grossly excessive speed at which the driver of this vehicle had been travelling at coupled with his general driving inexperience, both of which were compounded by him being under the influence of alcohol.”

Defence advocate Tony Lenehan KC said: “Mr Patrick knows the terrible harm he has done, causing the death of Ms Slane.

“No words of Mr Patrick can do anything to undo this harm.

“He pleads guilty knowing that he deserves a substantial prison sentence.

“He tells me if he could serve ten times the sentence and be able to undo everything that happened, he would.”

Lord Harrower held Patrick in custody and requested a report into his background.

He added: “This is a terrible tragedy for Ms Slane and her family, and for Miss Jones and her family.”

As security officers handcuffed Patrick to escort him to jail, a man from the public gallery yelled: “You should be hung,”

Patrick will receive his sentence at the High Court in Dundee on June 9.