A DRIVING instructor was facing jail last night after he raced another car at more than 100 miles an hour before they crashed, killing a passenger.

Michael Lopez, 28, who trains other driving instructors, was at the wheel of an Audi Quattro which overtook a Lexus approaching a bend on a 70mph dual carriageway.

The Audi clipped the Lexus ILS200, which hit a tree and disintegrated into four parts, killing backseat passenger Leslie Clark, 54, who was returning with friends from playing five-a-side soccer.

Lopez lost control of his car, which left the road and ended up 90 metres from the Lexus.

Prosecutor Shaun Dodds said: "The effect of the touching of the cars at such a ludicrous speed was devastating.

"The defendant said in a police interview that he was overtaking the Lexus, which pulled out, and a collision ensued and he lost control of his car.

"He disputes the witnesses' account of the speed. Experts said that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the cars, no mechanical defects and the weather was fine and the road was dry."

Mr Dodds told the Teesside Crown Court jury: "The Crown instructed an experienced accident investigator to examine the cause of the collision. His calculations put the Lexus travelling at about 109 miles an hour at the start of the tyre marks on the road in a 70 miles an hour zone, and they are moving into a bend."

Lopez, of Sycamore Road, Fishburn, County Durham, was found guilty of causing the death by dangerous driving of Mr Clark, of Trimdon Avenue, Acklam, Middlesbrough, on the A177 Stockton road at Sedgefield on June 21 last year.

The jury retired for over five hours and the verdict was greeted with cries of "Yes" by Mr Clark's relatives and friends in the public gallery.

Judge Tony Briggs remanded Lopez on bail for pre-sentence reports and imposed an interim driving ban on him, adding: "You must understand that all sentencing options, including custody, remain open, and these are matters of great seriousness."

The other driver, David Matthews, 35, of Middle Lane, Wolviston, pleaded guilty on Monday to causing death by dangerous driving and was remanded on bail for pre-sentence and medical reports.

They will be sentenced together in about six weeks.