An expectant mother and her devoted husband, described by friends as a perfect couple, have been killed in a horrific weekend road crash only weeks before the birth of their first child.

Six-months pregnant Suzie Baldwin and her husband Adrian died instantly in the head-on smash with a lorry at a notorious accident black-spot near Darlington on Saturday morning.

The 29-year-old air hostess was a passenger in a pick-up truck driven by her 34-year-old husband. The vehicle was engulfed in a fireball following the crash.

The couple, from Romanby, near Northallerton, had been married for less than a year.

Durham Police's accident investigation team is mounting an inquiry into the crash near Hurworth Place just before 8.30am.

Mr and Mrs Baldwin were travelling towards Darlington on the A167 road from Northallerton when their Mitsubishi pick-up veered on to the wrong side of the road after failing to negotiate a left-hand bend.

It smashed into a lorry and both vehicles burst into flames from the massive impact, said a Durham police spokesman.

The driver of the HGV, a 57-year-old man from Bedale, North Yorkshire, escaped with minor injuries and shock.

One Darlington policeman said: "It is the worst accident I have seen in 12 years."

Mr and Mrs Baldwin were married in Kirby Knowle, North Yorkshire, just over six months ago and honeymooned in Thailand.

Mr Baldwin had just been made a partner in his best friend's steel company, Northallerton Steel Erection. His wife worked for Airtours from Newcastle and Teesside airports as an air stewardess.

Best friend Dave Hogg last night paid tribute to his friend and told how the couple spent every moment planning for their baby.

"Adrian would do anything for anybody and not a moment went by when he didn't speak about the baby.

"He would grin from ear to ear every time the baby was mentioned. I can't believe this has happened to such a wonderful couple who had their lives mapped out in front of them.

"Adrian and I drove 30,000 miles every year through work and we used to drive up that same road at least twice a week. It is just so ironic that they both died there."

Mr Hogg's wife, Natalie, said: "They were so in love and the baby was going to make their lives even more perfect. It was all they ever talked about."

Neighbours of the couple said they had only moved into the new housing estate, in Romanby, recently, and described their death as a tragedy.

Both families of the couple - who were being comforted at Mr Baldwin's parents' house in Scorton, North Yorkshire - were too upset to talk about the tragedy last night.

The road was closed for almost four hours while police and fire crews cleared away the wreckage.

The accident happened on a road notorious for fatal crashes.

In 1997, a driver who had been taking drugs killed himself and popular teacher Trevor Bailey when their cars collided in a high-speed crash on the same part of road.

In 1999, Nicola Constantine, who worked at Croft racing circuit, was killed on the same road near Croft when she lost control of her car and veered into the opposite lane.

It is estimated that the road is the scene of up to four accidents every year.

Hurworth parish councillor Alan Gibson said: "It is a problem road and there are a significant number of accidents on it because of the amount of bends."

Drivers, including the Middlesbrough Football team travelling to training in Hurworth on Saturday morning, were diverted around the accident.

Anyone with information is asked to phone Durham Police on 0191-386 4929.