A driver has told of his despair at losing two friends he saw as brothers after they died when his car crashed.

Tributes were paid to Matt Preece, 21, from Lindfield, and Marc Martin, 22, a father of two from Haywards Heath, after the accident at 10pm on December 17.

The pair were in the back of a BMW when it hit a tree and flipped on to its roof near Handcross. Both died in hospital. Driver Kyle Witney was also taken to hospital seriously injured.

Mr Witney took to social media yesterday to express his devastation and tell his side of the story.

The 20-year-old, from Lindfield, said: “I never ever wanted this to happen. Matt Preece and Marc Martin were both the older brothers I never had. I looked up to them both more than anything – Marc for being a brilliant father and still managing to hold down a job and I loved Matt to bits. He was amazing. All I had to do was look at him a certain way and he knew if something was wrong.”

He thanked friends for sticking by him in a post on Facebook.

He said: “Thanks so much for all the support. It’s keeping me going. Now I’ve said thanks the hard part is putting my side of the story out there.”

He said as the driver he was prepared that people might jump to conclusions but asked them to confront him and not “make up stupid rumours”. He said that as he turned the corner on High Beeches Lane the back end of his rear-wheel-drive car “stepped out without warning” and the traction control did not kick in.

He said: “I tried to counter steer it as I did not realise it was because of the slippery roads. We were heading towards the metal posts on the left side of the road. I tried to avoid this but without realising I had overcorrected and we were heading backwards down the road on the opposite side.”

As the car headed for the grass verge, he said the boot clipped a tree, causing it to flip on to its roof with force.

Friends backed his decision to speak out with more than 200 “likes” on the post and 40 comments of support.

Samantha Verschoor said: “Everybody knows you have a heart of gold. We all know you did the best you could.”

Witnesses can call 101 or email collision.appeal@sussex.pnn.police.uk.