A lorry involved in a head-on collision which killed a Tadcaster company boss skidded on to the offside of the road, an inquest heard.

David Calvert, 38, was left severely brain-damaged by the crash on the A659 near the junction with Toulston Lane, Tadcaster, and died nine days later.

Mr Calvert was managing director of Sky High Traffic Data, specialising in video surveys which identify potential road accident blackspots.

He conducted a video surveillance operation on the A64 on behalf of the Evening Press, giving a massive boost to our Close The Gaps campaign.

Mr Calvert died in his Audi car at a junction on a bend near his home where he had recently predicted to his parents that it was only a matter of time before someone was killed. The accident happened on June 2 less than half-a-mile from his home in the grounds of Tadcaster Grammar School, which the bachelor shared with his parents, Delia and Bill Calvert.

William Jones, a production manager with Bass brewery, told the inquest he was travelling home along the A659, following a rigid-bodied lorry. It was raining slightly, the roads were greasy and he was doing about 50mph. He said that as he approached a severe left-hand bend and a junction off to the right to Tadcaster Grammar School, he slowed down to 35mph.

Mr Jones said: "As the lorry started to go round the bend, it drifted out to the right and was two-thirds across the white line.

"I saw an oncoming Audi car and it was all over in a flash."

Accident investigation officer, PC Michael Natt, said that from the evidence he had gathered at the scene, the lorry driver had braked hard and started to skid, which carried him further across the bend towards the offside.

The Audi had been driven on to the nearside grass verge when the collision happened.

The verdict was accidental death.