A DRIVER lost control of his "dangerous" pick-up truck as a North Yorkshire ambulance on an emergency call drove towards him, an inquest heard.

Richard Graham Steele, 41, of Betton Rise, East Ayton, between Pickering and Scarborough, died in the consequent crash near his home village.

Mr Steele suffered a massive chest injury and a fractured spine after his red pick-up truck hit a grass verge and rolled several times. He was not wearing a seatbelt.

John Broadbridge, deputy coroner for North Yorkshire East, recorded a verdict of accidental death after he heard the brakes on the pick-up were in a dangerous condition, causing the back wheels to lock up.

The accident happened last September when an ambulance taking a patient to hospital met slow uphill traffic on the A170 Thirsk to Scarborough road near East Ayton.

Witnesses told the inquest the ambulance driver, Tracey Archer, turned on sirens and flashing lights to overtake, straddling the central white line at approximately 20 mph.

Mr Steele was driving in the opposite direction over the brow of the hill and braked heavily.

It was unclear whether he braked for the ambulance or for an untraced car in front which had stopped and pulled over to let it pass.

His pick-up's rear brakes locked and it was sent spinning into a grass verge before flipping into the air, rolling several times and coming to rest in a hedge.

TC Timothy Alderson, who investigated the accident, said Mr Steele was not wearing a seat belt and there were serious brake defects on his vehicle.

The brake load sensing valve was in a "dangerous condition. It would have caused the vehicle to lock up and it would have been uncontrollable."

Deputy coroner Mr Broadbridge said: "I'm satisfied there is a question mark over the condition of the vehicle and that has had a major part to play."

The brakes would have locked whether Mr Steele was braking for an ambulance or any other object.

Ambulance paramedic Michael Raw, in the back of the ambulance at the time of the crash, said he told the driver, Tracey Archer, to overtake the traffic with sirens and flashing lights.

He said: "Given the same circumstances again, I would think the same course of action would be taken."