A DRIVER and his co-worker were killed when their car mysteriously crossed over to the wrong side of the road, an inquest heard yesterday.

Driver Joseph Kamau, 32, of Dacre Road, East Walcot, and Justin Linnegar, 43, of Western Street, Old Town, died instantly when the green Rover they were travelling in smashed into a silver Toyota Auris on April 1.

The BMW workers had finished work and were travelling home to Swindon from Oxford on the A420 just before 6pm.

Oxford Coroner’s Court heard Mr Linnegar wasn’t wearing a seat belt in the back seat of the Rover.

Coroner Nicholas Gardiner read out a statement from driver Grace Rosie Benton, who passed the Rover before it hit the Toyota.

The statement said: “As I drove along I saw the Rover cross over to my side of the road. I moved over a lot.

As the Rover passed me, it was very close. I remember thinking: ‘what are you doing?’ “Almost instantly I saw the Rover crash into the silver Toyota car behind me. I saw lots of glass in the air.”

The Toyota driver, Andrew Shuker, who was travelling in the opposite direction, told the inquest the Rover suddenly appeared in front of him before he collided with it.

He said: “All I can remember is all of a sudden a green car came out in front of me.

“There was a huge impact. I can remember a noise from the car, which was the airbags.

“It just appeared on my side of the road – I tried to move to the left.”

The collision took place one third of a mile past the Watchfield roundabout, the court heard.

BMW worker Pawel Kaczmarczyk was travelling in the front passenger seat of the Rover beside Mr Kamau.

A statement from Mr Kaczmarczyk stated he shared a lift with Mr Kamau (whom he knew as George) and Mr Linnegar every day to work.

He fell asleep during the drive home from Oxford on April 1, but awoke suddenly when the car smashed into the Toyota.

His statement said: “George was not a good driver – I even had to speak to him in the past about the way he drove the car.

“It was George’s turn to drive. Justin was lying across the back seat – he was not wearing a seatbelt. All of sudden I woke up and looked at George. He seemed unconscious and there was blood on his face.

“I stumbled out of the car and was dizzy. I think I passed out. I can only imagine I was asleep when it happened.

“I was shaken and upset that both my friends had died.”

Both men died as a result of multiple injuries.

Coroner Nicholas Gardiner said: “It is clear the Rover crossed into the path of the silver car, which resulted in the death of two occupants in the Rover.

“Mr Kamau, as the driver, for no obvious reason crossed the car over to the right and collided with an oncoming vehicle.”

The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death