A driver and his mother were killed when he ploughed into a lorry as he text a woman after their first date.
Mark Golubovic, 32, was with his mother Irene Martin, 63, in his red Ford KA when he swerved into the path of the oncoming lorry near Bridgend in South Wales.
An inquest heard Mr Golubovic was using his phone to send a message Fern Robbins, 26, while behind the wheel.
The couple had met online but met in person for the first time the night before the tragic crash on May 6 this year.
Mark Golubovic, 32, was with his mother Irene Martin, 63, in his red Ford KA when he swerved into the path of the oncoming lorry
Mr Golubovic was using his phone to send a message Fern Robbins, 26, while behind the wheel
The inquest heard the pair had enjoyed ‘a couple of cocktails’ before Mr Golubovic stayed the night at her house.
The next morning, the factory worker text Ms Robbins just moments before the crash at 8.30am.
In a written statement, Ms Robbins said: ‘At 8.10am Mark sent me a text. He thanked me for an enjoyable night.
‘At 8.28am Mark text me and said he had to go and get ready to leave.’
The last message Mr Golubovic sent Ms Robbins at 8.29am said: ‘Thank you, laters.’
The inquest heard lorry driver David Loveys, 68, was transporting 190 tonnes of animal feed in Llanharry when he spotted the car swerving into his side of the 40mph road.
Mr Loveys said: ‘It was as if to avoid something on the road but I couldn’t see anything.
‘I would say it was at least 40-50mph and I had little or no time to react.
‘The red car just kept coming towards me. I thought the driver would have seen me and would have gone back onto the right side of the road.’
The inquest in Aberdare heard Mr Golubovic’s side of the car was crushed under the lorry and he died instantly.
Grandmother and mother-of-three Ms Martin, from Llanharry, near Cardiff, died from multiple injuries six days later.
Mr Golubovic’s side of the car was crushed under the lorry and he died instantly
Coroner Andrew Barkley said Mr Golubovic using his mobile phone to text Ms Robbins (left) was the ‘most likely cause’ of the crash
PC Lisa Morgan attended the scene and found no mechanical faults with either vehicle.
She said Mr Golubovic could have sent the messages before getting in his car because the crash happened just over half a mile from his house.
But coroner Andrew Barkley said the use of the mobile phone was the ‘most likely cause’ of the crash.
Mr Barkley said: ‘It is very clear the mobile phone was in use around the time of the collision.
‘That is certainly a very persuasive view and in my assessment the most likely cause of what happened here.
‘There is no other rational explanation as to what cause him to lose control.’
The coroner concluded both deaths were due to a road traffic collision.
The inquest heard Mr Golubovic was below the legal alcohol limit at the time of the crash.