THE driver of a lorry involved in an accident in which two women died declined to give evidence at their inquest yesterday.

But in a taped interview with police, Paul Simpson, 30, recalled the moment his seven-and-a-half tonne lorry ploughed into the back of two cars, killing May Waugh, 70, of Moyne Gardens and Patricia Packham, 53, of Warren Court, both Hartlepool.

"All I remember is braking, then I heard a bang. I went through the embankment and through the hedge," he said.

The Durham City inquest heard that the women had been in separate cars on their way to a bowling match, in Sunderland last July 5, when Mrs Waugh noticed her Ford Escort had a flat tyre. Both cars stopped on a stretch of the A19, where there was no hard shoulder.

The head of Durham Police accident investigation unit, Sergeant Keith Hopper, said Mr Simpson would have had about 13 seconds to avoid the cars, which protruded on to the road.

A third woman, Jeanne Walton, of Stockton Road, Hartlepool, was badly injured in the crash. Mr Simpson, 30, of The Avenue, Seaham, suffered a broken right leg.

Coroner Andrew Tweddle told the inquest he was considering recording a verdict of unlawful killing, but postponed a verdict until February 20 to consider further legal matters.