Teen left devastated after parked car smashed by Edinburgh hit and run driver

A Clermiston teenager has been left reeling after a driver smashed into their car on Rannoch Road before speeding off in the early hours of the morning.

The incident has left the 19 year-old with no vehicle to get to work and has placed a strain on his bank balance with the repair bill being quoted to cost as much as the car is worth.

Brandon Mclaughlin is a young electrical apprentice who has to travel 14 miles every day to work and has said he feels like “someone has snatched my half eaten sandwich out of my hand that I had not quite finished yet” after only owning the car for just over a year.

The incident took place on Rannoch road at 04:50am on March 23 and police were notified once the damage to the car was noticed later that morning.

It is suspected that a car smashed into the parked Red Hyundai i20 - with the force of the collision spinning the car into an adjacent driveway whilst also ripping off part of the back bumper.

The aspiring sparky was quoted £2,000 to fix the car even though the vehicle is only thought to be worth around £1,200.

Brandon used his car for getting to and from work as well as as for getting out of the house between lockdowns. He is said to be devastated that his car is now off road.

His mother, Lynn Thomson, said she was heartbroken for her son and said he absolutely loved the car and the freedom it brought.

Brandon Mclaughlin heartbroken over the smashed up car

She said: “My son had to be dropped off at work by myself this morning. He's feeling really down about it now and very upset about the whole thing.

“Brandon had plans to travel with the car after lockdown as it was very low mileage but now all of his plans are up in the air.

“If anyone has any information on the incident then please contact the police.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 6.25am on Tuesday, 23 March, 2021, officers received report of a hit and run road crash on Rannoch Road in Edinburgh. A vehicle was struck by a vehicle which failed to stop after the crash. No-one was injured and enquiries are ongoing.”

The car was spun into this position from being stationary

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