LIKE Joel Corner, he took his father's high-powered car without permission and drove around York before losing control and crashing.

But unlike Joel, Alex McIntosh survived uninjured and a friend in his car was only slightly hurt - although his father's BMW did suffer £8,000 worth of damage when it hit a barrier at a roundabout.

Now has Alex has spoken out about his teenage joyride after reading of the inquest into the deaths of 15-year-old Joel, from near Stockton Lane, his friend and front seat passenger Daniel Wright, also 15, and 57-year-old van driver Peter Alexander in a crash in Stockton Lane last year.

Alex threw his support behind The Press' bid to prevent a repeat of the tragedy, in which Joel's car spun out of control at high speed and smashed into Mr Alexander's van in an "explosion of dust".

As the paper reported on Saturday, we are planning to produce a hard-hitting video which we hope will be shown to teenagers in schools across the York area to show just how dangerous it can be taking a car while underage and untrained. The campaign has won the backing of both Joel's father Lee and Peter's son Stuart.

Alex, now 23, of Boroughbridge Road, said: "I think it will work but you have got to reach to their level and use shock tactics.

"At that age, you feel invincible, particularly in a big car, and think it's a joke. After my crash, we tended to deal with it by laughing about it.

"The video needs to be about shocking them into realising it isn't a joke."

He said his crash happened in September 2003 when he was 18, and his father was away on holiday in Italy. Unlike Joel, he did have a licence to drive and had his own car, but it was a sports car and quite different to control than his father's three- litre BMW 530.

He said he lost control after coming off the A64 and entering the A19 roundabout at Fulford.

The rear wheels started to slide, and he hit a crash barrier. His car ended up on the barrier, with the front wheels four or five feet in the air.

"I was extremely fortunate and six years on understand the potential implications of my actions," he said.

"I think any parents of mid to late teenage boys should keep this in the back of their minds - keep your car keys safe so as not to provide temptation.

"Although you trust your child, boys will be boys, and can easily be tempted, especially with added peer pressure.

"My thoughts are with all those affected by this accident."