A LORRY driver accused of causing the death of two road workers denied falling asleep at the wheel, a court heard yesterday.

Asda lorry driver Brian Smith, 57, is standing trial at Teesside Crown Court where he denies two charges of causing death by dangerous driving.

Stephen Ashurst, defence counsel for Mr Smith, of Nuneaton, Warwickshire, said there was no evidence which showed his client had "nodded off" while driving. He added that, in a police interview, Mr Smith said he had not fallen asleep while driving.

The court had heard from Michael O'Neill, prosecuting, that John Corkin, 29, and Kevin Barker, 40, died in the accident after Mr Smith's lorry hit the back of their flat-bed maintenance truck as they laid out cones for forthcoming roadworks.

Mr O'Neill previously told the court Mr Smith hit the truck without slowing, swerving or braking.

He said Mr Smith had left his depot three hours before the accident, but electronic equipment in his lorry showed he had not braked from his speed of 56mph before the accident.

The accident happened as a three-man crew, including Mr Corkin and Mr Barker, were marking out roadworks on the northbound carriageway of the A1 near Catterick, North Yorkshire.

The truck, with flashing lights on the back, was parked half on the verge and half in the slow lane of the motorway when the crash happened, just before 1am on August 9, 2000.

Mr Ashurst, summing up the defence case, said his client had seen the truck with the flashing lights, but had thought it was parked off the road, misjudging the position of the vehicle.

He said Mr Smith had been left devastated and bewildered by the accident which, he said, he knew he had caused and had never denied causing.

This was, he said, a case of careless driving and did not amount to dangerous driving. He said his client had no previous convictions, was a man of positively good character and was well-respected.

He said that, prior to the accident, Mr Smith had driven the lorry well, according to the electronic equipment onboard, showing he had reduced his speed when driving on the road where one lane had been coned off about two miles south of the accident.

This, he said, showed Mr Smith was alert and awake at that time.

The trial continues.