A COURT heard last week how a man told police that he was not to blame for a car crash, which killed two children.

In an interview after the accident Richard Beal said that he had been on the correct side of the road when his car collided with Alison Brooker's last year.

"I am truly sorry," he said. "I do not believe it was my fault."

On Friday Cheshire coroner Nicholas Rheinberg read the transcript of a statement made by Mr Beal in March to officers at Wilmslow police station.

The court heard how the 44-year-old computer consultant had explained his reason for overtaking a car in Cann Lane, Aston-by-Budworth.

Instinctive

"I know the road well," he said. "I overtook simply because I decided that the Citroen was not going to accelerate."

In the March 9 interview Mr Beal, of Northwich, gave a statement to officers. He said he had not been worried about Mrs Brooker's car, which was coming towards him.

"I began to pull back over and I was not in any way concerned about my driving position," he said.

But Mr Beal said things went wrong when Mrs Brooker's car hit a patch of ice that sent her car skidding into his lane.

"I remember that the vehicle was sliding to the point of being side on," he said.

"I had the thought to try to steer right to get away. All my actions at that point were instinctive."

Mr Beal was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving in December and given police bail.

But in June officers told him he would not be charged after they received advice from the Crown Prosecution Service.