THE TRIAL of a man accused of causing the deaths of two young fathers in a Middlewich Road horror smash enters its fourth day today, Thursday.

Ioan Harding, aged 21, of Ford Lane, Crewe, will today take the witness stand after denying two charges of causing death by dangerous driving.

The charges relate to a collision which claimed the lives of 21-year-old dads Adam Chadwick and Stephen Hicks on May 27 last year.

Chester Crown Court heard that the smash was so horrific that Mr Hicks' white Ford Mondeo ripped in half on impact, with the front and engine travelling 42-metres beyond the crash scene.

Prosecutor Steven Everett told jurors that the defendant and Mr Hicks, who were friends, were 'clearly racing each other at high speed' as they travelled past Alvaston Hall towards Nantwich.

Adam Chadwick, an innocent bystander who was travelling in the opposite direction, had no hope of steering his Rover car out of Mr Hicks' path.

Mr Everett said: "This was an accident just begging to happen. At one stage the defendant and Mr Hicks were driving across the whole width of the road.

"Stephen Hicks, in trying to get back onto the correct side of the road, lost control and turned sideways into the path of Mr Chadwick.

"Mr Chadwick had no opportunity to avoid the Mondeo and they hit.

"If the defendant and his friend had not been racing each other, Mr Hicks would never have lost control and there would not have been a crash."

Harding, who was driving on the correct side of the road, said he was travelling at around 60mph and denies speeding, racing and driving dangerously.

In a police interview, he claimed Mr Hicks had been attempting to overtake him normally, saying: "He wanted to overtake me and I saw the car coming in the other direction.

"I put the brakes on so he could get in front of me. He started to get in front and then I don't know what happened because I was well back."

Prior to the collision, Harding and Mr Hicks overtook taxi driver and sole eyewitness Kenneth Saxon, who said that Mr Hicks moved out to overtake Harding but both cars accelerated further, travelling side by side for three-quarters of a mile at speeds of 'at least 85mph, maybe 90mph'.

Harding's defence team said Mr Saxon had originally claimed in a police statement that the cars were side by side for just 200 yards.

Mr Hicks' partner Kerry Highfield claimed her boyfriend and Harding had raced on Middlewich Road before.

She said: "Stephen told me a couple of times they would speed, sometimes down Middlewich Road. He said they were doing it for a laugh.

"He said they would drive at quite high speeds, over 90mph.

"I discussed it with Ioan and he said that if Stephen's going to do it, I'm going to do it."

The trial continues.