TWO men were killed on a Hampshire road after a van driver attempted an illegal overtake before crashing head-on with another vehicle.

Daniel Curtin was travelling on the A30 towards Salisbury on November 22 at just after 6.50am when he attempted the manoeuvre while driving up a hill between Wallop Drive and Hollom Down Road, near Lopcombe Corner, Winchester Coroner’s Court heard.

However, fellow commuter Christopher Coombes, 63, who was travelling in the opposite direction in a Citroen Nemo van, could not see the VW Caddie over the brow of the hill and the vehicles collided in the eastbound carriageway.

Mr Curtin, 58 of Reading, and Mr Coombes, of Salisbury, died at the scene.

No one else was in the vehicles.

Pathologists Dr Balvinder Shoker confirmed the injuries both sustained were extensive, including a fractured spine and bleeds to the brain. He added death would have been instantaneous.

Speaking at the inquest,  witness Clive Deacon, who  Mr Curtin attempted to overtake, told how events unfolded on the single-carriageway road near Nether Wallop.

“I saw some lights gaining on me from behind and also saw some lights coming from in front of me too,” said the 51-year-old who was driving a 3.5t Ford Iveco.

“(Curtin) was coming up behind me just as I was getting to the brow of the hill.

“Then I heard a big bang (after Coombes passed) and suddenly there were no lights behind me. I then braked, turned around and went back.

“I saw the vans were smashed up head-to-head.”

Mr Deacon, who had previously passed a first aid course, phoned for an ambulance and ran over to the vehicles to help the drivers.

Medical crews arrived just 15 minutes later, but could do nothing to save the pair.

PC Steve Wootton, a forensic officer with Hampshire Police, confirmed that the stretch of road Mr Curtin attempted the manoeuvre on was marked with a solid white line – indicating no overtaking may take place.

PC Wootton also said the force of the impact would have totalled more than 100mph; the Citroen was thrown into a nearby hedge.

“It would seem that both drivers were left with little or no time to react to the situation; there is no evidence to suggest that either driver was braking at the time of the collision,” explained the officer.

“Why Mr Curtin decided to overtake and and contravene the double white line system is not clear.”

It was confirmed that neither driver was using their phones at the time of the incident and both were wearing seatbelts.

Senior coroner Grahame Short concluded the pair’s death as a result of a road traffic collision.