TWO men who died in a head-on smash on the A19 near Easingwold were unlawfully killed, a court heard.

Brian Thompson, 49, and Colin Wear, 44, died when the white Vauxhall Corsa they were in, driven by workmate Wayman Metcalfe, 37, collided with a lorry near the turn to Raskelf in October last year.

Coroner Michael Oakley recorded a verdict of accidental death on Mr Metcalfe at an inquest in Northallerton yesterday. But he said the driver's actions were directly responsible for the death of his two passengers and ruled they had been unlawfully killed.

The three men, all from Hetton-le-Hole, County Durham, were employees of Specialist Mining Services of Goole and were on their way to a shift at North Selby mine near Escrick.

The crash occurred less than a mile from another triple fatal accident five months earlier at the junction of the A19 with the northern exit to the Easingwold bypass.

At yesterday's inquest, the court heard several witnesses describe how the white Corsa overtook several cars as it headed south on the A19. As it approached the turn to Raskelf it pulled out on to chevrons in the middle of the carriageway to overtake a line of cars, headed by a lorry. But when it pulled back into the south-bound carriageway, Mr Metcalfe lost control and the car careered across the road into the path of an oncoming lorry, driven by Richard Duffin, of Hull, who escaped with minor injuries. The three men died instantly from their injuries.

In a statement, Katherine Chamberlain, from Northallerton, who was travelling towards York, said: "In my opinion, the driver of the Vauxhall Corsa was totally to blame. The manner of driving was dangerous, foolish and absolutely reckless for other road users."

Mr Duffin, who was travelling north-bound, described how the lorry in front of him swerved to the side as the Corsa made the overtaking move, pulling back in just ahead of a south-bound lorry.

Mr Duffin said: "I just thought it would not get in. Then it did, but then it shot straight out again and collided with the front of my vehicle."

In recording his verdicts, the coroner said: "The actions of the driver led directly to their deaths so I will record a verdict of unlawful killing on both the passengers."

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