A DEATH-CRASH driver yesterday won a legal battle to get back on the road.

Stephen Dolan, from Middlesbrough, was only 16 when he was convicted with another driver of causing a teenager's death by dangerous driving.

Neither Dolan, nor the other driver, should have been driving when their cars collided in The Grove, Marton, Middlesbrough, on September 11, 1996.

The other driver, Darren Thompson, 23, was already disqualified. Thompson's best friend, Andrew Trice, 17, a back-seat passenger, was killed when he was flung through a window.

Both drivers were put behind bars for a year by Teesside Crown Court in April, 1998, and banned for five years. Yesterday, Dolan, now 20, formerly of Woodrow Avenue, Marton, won an application to have his ban lifted early.

Judge David Bryant who sentenced them three years ago, said that Dolan could have a provisional licence on June 2, his 21st birthday. But he must pass an extended driving test before holding a full licence.

Nigel Wray, defending, said: "He sincerely regrets the grief that he has caused to many people. He sincerely feels that he has matured as a person, enabling him to become a more productive member of society. He has served his time in prison and has come out without a blemish against him."

Mr Wray said Dolan, now of Middlesex, worked in security for British Airways at Heathrow and needed a licence for promotion