Collision Course

Collision Course is a novel by British author Nigel Hinton. It was his first book and was published for the first time in 1976 with later editions revised. It tells the story of a teenage boy who stole a motorcycle and killed someone with it then he tried to get through his everyday life whilst trying to avoid getting caught. The novel also deals with the issue of adolescence. The novel is used in English lessons at secondary schools. Plot On his evening walk one Wednesday night fifteen-year-old Ray got tempted by a Honda 125 motorbike outside a pub with its engine running so he got on and went for a joyride. He rode to the neighbouring village of Blackston and on his way back to the city he collided with a woman, who he saw earlier in an Austin Mini, and killed her. Ray walked back to the city and decided to take the bus rather than walk home in his weakened state. However, when the conductor came to collect the fare Ray remembered that he did not have any money on him so the conductor asked for his name and address so the company could send him a bill. Ray gave him fake details and was reminded not to go on the bus without any money and when he got home he went straight to bed and locked the door to hide his injuries from his family. In the morning Ray washed the blood from his pillow case, hair and the inside of his hood then checked the daily newspaper. On page six was a report about the collision saying that police investigations were underway. That afternoon in school the history teacher chose that day to teach them about Sir Robert Peel and developments in the police force including crime detection methods. A girl in the class asked a question about whether it was true that only 40% of all crimes were detected and solved then a couple of other pupils also heard about that figure reassuring Ray about the fallibility of the police. At the end of the school day Ray found on the notice board that he made it onto the school football team as a reserve but on his way out he saw a police car pull into the school gates so Ray went back in see what it was about. Ray waited outside the headmaster's office trying to listen but only caught a few short words. Back home Ray's mother told him that his grandmother was ill which she was worried about and he made her more upset when he told her that he forgot to buy the sausages for tea that he promised her he would get.