The mother of a teenager killed when a car veered into her husband's vehicle has spoken of her disappointment after the driver's trial collapsed.

Laurie Suckling, 13, died in the head-on crash last February which also left motorist Brian Moon fighting for his life in a coma.

Lewes Magistrates Court heard Mr Moon's Subaru crossed into the opposite carriageway of the A272 at Piltdown, near Uckfield. It struck Stephen Suckling's VW Golf, killing his son, a budding judo champion.

Two other vehicles ploughed into the wreckage and it took firefighters an hour to cut Mr Suckling and his son free.

Mr Moon, 51, of Forge Close, Uckfield, could not remember the incident but denied careless driving.

After Rob Hall outlined the prosecution's case yesterday, District Judge Ann Arnold told the court there was insufficient evidence to convict Mr Moon and the case was thrown out.

Outside the court, Laurie's mother, Sarah, said: "We are very disappointed with the decision. The police did everything they could but at the end of the day there was not enough evidence to convict.

"It's very disappointing but it's not going to bring Laurie back."

Mr Moon said he was pleased to have been cleared.

He said: "I feel very sorry for the family. My boy just survived the crash but, unfortunately, theirs did not.

"My son Tom, who is now 12, had a broken leg, a punctured lung and a bruised heart. He only just survived but has another operation coming up."

Mr Moon spent five days in a coma and has no memories until two weeks after the crash.

He said two experts had examined a ripped rear tyre on his Subaru but it could not be proved whether it was damaged before or after the collision.

Mr Suckling's evidence was not read at court. But at the inquest into Laurie's death, he said: "There was a car coming down the hill and as we got close that car then veered across into our path.

"I then did as much as I could to stop the car. Basically, all I did was put my foot as hard as I could on the brakes. It just veered for no apparent reason."

In police interviews, Mr Moon said a few weeks before the crash at 8pm on February 24, his X-registration Subaru was fitted with four new tyres. He said he regularly checked their pressure and said it had been handling normally prior to the collision.