A SPANISH lorry driver s momentary lapse of concentration led to the death of a popular local man, an inquest heard yesterday. Leighton King, 26, of Blackthorn Court, Soham, was killed in a head-on collision with a lorry driven by 38-year-old Jose Luiz M

A SPANISH lorry driver's momentary lapse of concentration led to the death of a popular local man, an inquest heard yesterday.

Leighton King, 26, of Blackthorn Court, Soham, was killed in a head-on collision with a lorry driven by 38-year-old Jose Luiz Miron Romancho, in January, on the A142 near Soham.

In the early hours of the morning of January 15, King was heading to work at the Dickerson's plant near Waterbeach, when the left-hand drive lorry pulled out of Barway Road onto the wrong side of the A142, colliding head-on with Mr King's van opposite Eye Hill Drove. He was found dead at the wheel at 5.45am, from multiple head injuries.

Miron Romancho, from Granada, was arrested at the scene. In a police interview, he admitted pulling out onto the wrong side of the road, telling officers: "It was just by instinct because we Spaniards drive on the right. We can be cheated by the subconscious at any time."

Although the victim was not wearing a seatbelt, crash investigator PC Peter Bimson told the inquest that it would not have saved Mr King's life. "I would doubt whether that was a factor in the cause of death - there was heavy intrusion into the driver's compartment," he told deputy assistant coroner David Osborne.

Mr King's parents Elizabeth and Tony were in court to hear Mr Osborne record a verdict of accidental death.

Criminal charges were pursued against the lorry driver, who was handed a 12-month ban for careless driving at Cambridge magistrates' court in April.