A HEARTBROKEN York teenager is planning a poignant prison visit to discover more about the last moments before her boyfriend's death in an horrific car crash.

Vicki Whittaker, 16, of Albemarle Road, wants to ask jailed learner driver Matthew Lee more about the high-speed crash in which her "perfect soul mate" Craig Adamson died.

Lee, 19, who had known Craig for two years, had taken only three driving lessons before driving a friend's car at speeds of up to 90 mph on November 20 last year.

The car crashed into a lamppost on the A19 near Riccall, and front seat passenger Craig, 18, a mechanic at the Lex Autocentre in Layerthorpe, died at the scene.

Vicki said that she could not forgive Lee, but she needed to ask him what Craig was feeling before the crash.

She said: "I want to make sure that Craig was having a good time, laughing and joking, not crying and scared.

"The second when you are scared and about to die is a lifetime worth of fear and there was no-one there to make it better.

"Matthew may not tell me, but I need to ask, it's just something that I need to do."

Vicki said she always wore special items, including the ring Craig bought her for her 15th birthday and the necklace he was wearing when he died.

The couple, who had been together for more than 15 months, were saving to buy a house and were planning their first holiday together.

Lee was jailed for two years at York Crown Court last week after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.

Vicki said she was unable to speak to Lee before the court case but is now prepared to visit him behind bars in a bid to move on with her life.

She said: "There's not a second in the day that I don't think about what me and Craig would be doing.

"It hurts me because he's not here and it hurts because I can't see him.

"But the thing that hurts me most is he had 70 years left in him and there's things he would've done.

"Matthew took him away from me and his family, but the grief is on Craig's part as well.

"While we are missing him we consider all the dreams he had - now we are the only ones to fulfil them for him because he can't do it himself.

"Before he went off in the car we said 'I love you' to each other.

"At least I can be thankful that I had that kind of relationship once in my life and, before he died, so did Craig."

Craig leaves a brother Gavin, 14, sister Lauren, seven, his mother Beverley, father Steve and step-mother Jayne.

Craig's best friend, Jonathan Mitchell, who he grew up with, has also been left heartbroken by the accident.

Updated: 11:07 Wednesday, October 16, 2002