A LORRY driver has told of "a white flash and a really loud explosion" when a stolen car driven by a 14-year-old smashed into his vehicle.

The second day of the inquest into the death of John Smith of Clare Road, Malvern, also heard of the carnage that greeted emergency services attending the scene, following the crash on Saturday, September 1, 2001.

Smith died from multiple injuries after hitting the haulage vehicle in Hampton, Evesham, on the A44 Worcester to Evesham Road.

Another boy, who was a passenger in the stolen Ford Escort survived. A police 4x4 vehicle was following the vehicle at the time of the crash.

The jury at the inquest in Stourport-on-Severn heard how the car's roof was ripped off with the impact when it hit the HGV travelling in the opposite direction.

A statement was read from lorry driver Dennis Warhurst, who told how he turned from Evesham's Abbey Road/Cheltenham Road crossroads and headed onto the A44 Pershore Road at around 8am.

"I turned right round the bend and I was aware of a white flash and then a really loud explosion," he said.

"I lost control. I could not steer my vehicle, attempted to break and swerved into the opposite carriage way."

Absolute carnage

One ambulance technician described the horror of the scene: "It was absolute carnage," he said.

"The roof was completely missing and I could see two people in the vehicle.

"The driver was slumped half in and half out of the car and the passenger, in a semi-conscious state, was being helped."

Smith had died instantly of multiple injuries.

Sgt Mark Underhill, who had been following the stolen vehicle from Pershore said at no time did it become a "pursuit situation".

He said it was his intention to maintain a safe distance, which on long straight stretches of road had been around half-a-mile away. At the time of the crash, accident investigators estimated he was around 90 metres from the car.

He said he had to get nearer to the car to get a better view of the vehicle at the approaching crossroads.

Witnesses had previously described how the 14-year-olds had reached speeds of around 80mph, forcing one driver into a roundabout near Worcester and hitting another vehicle twice near Cropthorne.

Smith, who started his journey on the A449 in Malvern, had run away from a care home with the other boy the previous evening, disobeying his police curfew orders to remain indoors at night. The inquest continues.