A road accident which claimed the life of a 49-year-old company director will never be explained, an inquest heard yesterday.

Raymond Stones, a director of Mr Windows, in Whessoe Road, Darlington, died from multiple injuries on May 3 when his van slewed sideways without warning across the A167 at Aycliffe and hit a Durham County Council road repair truck loaded with tarmacdam.

The hearing at Bishop Auckland magistrates court was told that the impact was so severe that the white Peugeot Mr Windows van was hurled into the air.

Mr Stones, of Rowley Street, Ushaw Moor, was trapped inside and died at the scene despite the efforts of paramedics.

John Davidson, 55, from Craddock Street, Spennymoor, said the van had been driving south towards him perfectly normally until it appeared as though the full lock had come on, sending it sideways into the offside front corner of his Leyland Daf.

He said: "I tried to pull to the left but it happened so quickly, I couldn't miss him.

"I braked and finished up diagonally across the road."

Darlington and South Durham coroner Colin Penna recorded a verdict of accidental death.

He said: "We will never know what happened. There was no defect in either vehicle and no suggestion of great speed at all."