THE driver of a works van killed a teenager who he failed to spot pushing a car as he approached a dual carriageway.

As a result the Ford Transit ploughed into the rear of the Peugeot 406, on the inside lane of the A689, at Sedgefield, County Durham.

Nineteen-year-old Dominic Scarre, who was attempting to push his stepmother’s out-of-fuel car onto the grass verge, was declared dead at the scene, shortly after 8am on October 17 last year.

Mr Scarre, of Low Moor Cottages, Finchale, near Durham, was being given a lift from his stepmother’s home, in Willington, County Durham, to attend a forklift driving course at her workplace, at Eaglescliffe, near Stockton, when the Peugeot ran out of diesel.

He got out to push the car, which had its hazard warning lights flashing, while stepmother Lyndsey Scarre was attempting to steer it onto the verge, when the collision took place, at about 7.45am.

Durham Crown Court heard that both Mrs Scarre and the van driver, Steven James Condron, received hospital treatment for minor injuries.

But 27-year-old Condron was arrested on release and today (Friday May 24) admitted a charge of causing death by careless driving.

David Lamb, prosecuting, told the court that Condron, a groundworker, was travelling from his work depot in Spennymoor to a housing construction site in Stockton, to drop off a load of barriers.

The court heard he estimated he was travelling at between 40 and 45-miles per hour on leaving a roundabout at Sedgefield and joining the dual carriageway.

Mr Lamb said: “The Crown say with the hazard lights flashing, the Peugeot would have been visible to motorists travelling behind in the same direction.”

He said two car drivers in front of Condron’s van saw the Peugeot and indicated, moving to the outside lane.

But, Condron, who gave a negative breath test, told police he did not brake or swerve as he did not see anything ahead until there was “a bang”.

He said it was raining and dark and he, “just did not know how it happened.”

PC Andy Edgar, of Durham Police’s collision investigation unit, estimated the Peugeot should have been visible from 225 metres in those conditions.

Based on the highest speed Condron said he was travelling, it should have given him more than 11 seconds to spot the Peugeot.

But, following representations by defence barrister Ros Scott Bell, Judge Christopher Prince adjourned sentence to allow for the exact visibility range to be assessed based on all available statements from other motorists.

Condron, of Central Avenue, Meadowfield, near Durham, was bailed to return for the proposed sentencing hearing, on June 24.