A WITNESS to a horror collision which killed a Trimsaran grandfather has told an inquest that a police officer possibly made a "very dangerous" overtake of two cars.

But the officer concerned said he had completed the overtake before the crash happened.

Richard Wheeler died on January 17, 2010, after he was involved in a collision with a police car on the B4317 Carway Road at around 1.30pm.

The 45-year-old from Trimsaran, described by family members as a loving husband and a doting father and grandfather, was airlifted to Morriston Hospital, where he later died.

Giving evidence at an inquest into his death this week, witness Huw David Priday explained how he was driving his Renault Clio ahead of Mr Wheeler's motorcycle when he saw a police car on an emergency call coming towards him on his side of the carriageway, as it overtook two vehicles in the opposite lane.

"It happened in a split second and I broke forcibly to avoid a collision," he said.

"The police car had committed to overtaking the vehicles and my immediate concern was to avoid the collision.

"It was posing a very real threat to me."

After he pumped the brakes, Mr Priday said he instinctively looked into his rear view mirror and saw the motorcyclist at an "impossible 45 degree angle".

"I braced myself for an impact hitting the back of my car but it didn't happen and I saw the motorcycle at the centre of the road."

"I pulled over, got out of my car immediately and ran out to him,'' he said.

"There was little myself and others could do apart from making his breathing better and as comfortable as we could."

Coroner Mark Leyton asked Mr Priday if he would have been involved in a collision with the police car if he had not applied the brake.

Mr Priday replied: "There would have been a significantly improved chance."

The witness said he went back to the scene the following day.

He said: "Although the road opened up slightly it was possible that the action of overtaking was very dangerous as it was on the brow of a hill.

"I think it was an error in judgement. If that's being reckless and dangerous then that is what it was."

Giving evidence the following day, the driver of the police vehicle, PC John Andrew Jones, said he was responding to a report of a road traffic collision between Kidwelly and Ferryside.

On the way to the incident PC Jones told the inquest that he overtook one of the two cars, a Peugeot and then accelerated sharply, before attempting to overtake the second VW Golf vehicle.

The inquest heard at this point Mr Jones became aware of the Clio 30 yards in front of him.

"The Clio emerged, broke hard and so did the Golf vehicle," he said.

"It is not somewhere I would have generally overtaken if it wasn't for the fact that the Golf and the Clio reacted well.

"If both had not come to a standstill I would not have done it. It was a risk assessment which I took in a split second in the circumstances."

Mr Jones told the inquest he became aware of Mr Wheeler's motorcycle at the same point that he had completed the overtake.

He said: "It was clear he had responded to the braking of the Clio and was fighting to control his bike.

"He became airborne in split seconds and came into my side of the carriageway.

"I heard the impact. I stopped very quickly perhaps two or three seconds afterwards, put in a call for assistance and then ran up the road to help."

The inquest is expected to conclude today.