A farm worker taking a shortcut across a busy road caused the death of two men when their car collided with his tractor's trailer, a court heard.

Paul Humpherson and Peter Gates died instantly when their car crashed into the back of Andrew Breckon's tractor and trailer on September 25, 2003, Teesside Crown Court was told.

Breckon felt a ''slight bang'' at the time of the fatal crash but continued with his journey back to the farm in Thimbley, North Yorkshire.

The accident occurred when the car collided with the rear of the trailer which was overhanging into the fast lane of the northbound A19, as Breckon waited to cross onto the southbound carriageway from the central reservation.

The 41-year-old agricultural worker, of Romanby, Northallerton, is accused of killing driver Mr Humpherson and rear seat passenger Mr Gates by dangerous driving.

He denies both charges.

Prosecutor Tim Capstick told the jury that the trailer was protruding into the road by at least 6ft.

It was getting dark when the crash happened at 8.50pm and due to the angle of the trailer, Mr Humpherson would have had difficulty seeing it or its warning lights.

The two men died instantly as the near side of their Peugeot 206 went underneath the trailer and came out the other side before finally coming to rest over 400 metres further down the road.

''The prosecution say that the tractor and trailer were positioned in such a way, protruding into the northbound carriageway, that the standard of driving fell well below that of a competent driver,'' Mr Capstick said.

Two other people in the car - front seat passenger Frank Newton and Brian Gilholme, who was asleep at the time - survived the crash.

''Mr Breckon was stationary and looking at traffic in the southbound carriageway when he was aware of a slight bang,'' the prosecutor said.

''He saw some debris but the vehicle carried on without stopping.

''Mr Breckon carried onto the farm. He saw there was some damage and a bit of scratched paint and thought no more about it.''

Mr Newton finally brought the car to a halt 440 metres after the fatal impact.

Breckon was taking a shortcut across the A19 as he headed back to Middle Farm when the crash happened.

Mr Gates, 52, was a former senior manager with Marks & Spencer.

The father-of-three, from Ponteland, Northumberland, had taken early retirement to spend more time with his family.

All four men in the Peugeot were working for a car-leasing firm and were travelling back to the North East from Wiltshire. The trial continues.