A MOTORIST died when he hit another car while overtaking a lorry, an inquest heard.

Steven Ashmore was described by a friend as 'nutty' when he was driving, often moaning at other drivers for going too slow.

The 30-year-old man, of Queens Drive, died when his Peugeot 309 crashed into a Range Rover as he overtook a lorry.

He was driving his blue Peugeot to Devizes to collect his giro and visit his mother and was accompanied by his friend Sean O'Leary.

The crash happened on the A4361, at the Wroughton and Salthrop crossroads, at 11.17am on February 4, last year.

Mr O'Leary, 30, also of Queens Drive, was in the passenger seat when it happened and both men were wearing their seatbelts.

They were travelling behind a line of traffic including a Vauxhall Astra, VW Golf and a seven-and-a-half ton lorry. The inquest heard Mr Ashmore overtook the VW Golf and Vauxhall Astra before pulling in behind the lorry.

In his statement to the police, Mr O'Leary said: "I would describe him as being nutty at times when he's driving, moaning the other cars were driving too slowly."

"I could see he was going to overtake.

"I said 'Look, something is coming'. I could see the Range Rover, but he just pulled out."

"I said twice there was something coming."

Mr Ashmore went onto the opposite side of the road as he began to overtake the lorry, accelerating, past the Science Museum and towards the Salthrop crossroads.

At this point, Mr Ashmore could see he was driving into the path of the dark green Range Rover and there was no room for him to pull back. Mr O'Leary said: "Steve put the brakes on, tried to get back but there was no room.

"I could see the Range Rover swerving and then we hit."

Mr O'Leary hit his head on the windscreen and was treated for minor injuries but Mr Ashmore died at the scene.

Mr Masters said there was no way this accident could have been avoided.

He said to Mr O'Leary: "You knew from past experience Steven would always overtake at this part of the road.

"He would overtake when he shouldn't have done."

Paul Palmer, 46, of Marlborough, was driving his Range Rover to work in Wroughton.

He said: "He pulled out onto my side of the road completely in a split second. The only thing I could do was put my foot on the brake and steer to the left."

Mr Palmer was forced off the road and treated for shock but escaped injury. The inquest was told the two cars were going about the same speed, with a combined speed of up to 110mph.

There were bends in the road but it was a bright dry day and visibility was good. The only potential problem was the gusts of winds blowing across the carriageway.

But, when they actually collided the impact speed was relatively low at around 30mph.

Pc Dean Hall, of Swindon traffic police, who investigated the collision, said: "My feeling is because of the angle of how the vehicles came together, it was a major contributory factor in Steven's death."

Wiltshire coroner David Masters said a pathologist report concluded Mr Ashmore died as a result of haemorrhaging on the brain due to an acute trauma.

Recording a verdict of misadventure, Mr Masters said: "Mr Ashmore was deliberately seeking to overtake the lorry and then realising he couldn't do so collided with Mr Palmer."

Lyndsay Scanlan