A PRIMARY school teacher who died in a crash near Micheldever was three times the drink drive limit, an inquest heard.

Ann ‘Annie’ Holman-Lisney, 63, who worked at Twyford St Mary’s near Winchester, was involved in a collision on the A33 southbound on July 17 at around 7.40 am.

Witnesses said she had pulled into the right hand lane to overtake a silver Peugeot E7 taxi and lost control when crossing back into the left lane. She was not wearing a seatbelt in her Blue Toyota Yaris.

Derek Holden, driver of the taxi, who was on his way to Winchester to pick up and take children to school, said: “The car overtook and then lost control. It got worse and worse before it drifted into the trees on the side of the road.

“I had to swerve around the car when it bounced back into the carriageway. I pulled over up the road and went to another man who had stopped.”

Witness Maximilian Newlands, of Basingstoke, who was on his way to work in Winchester, added: “I’ve never seen anything like it.

“When the car went past the taxi and lost control, I was gobsmacked it didn’t hit the taxi.

“Everything happened within a split second”

Winchester Coroner’s Court heard how Ms Holman-Lisney, of Dummer, had a history of stress and anxiety-related issues.

Her daughter, Lily Holman-Brant, said: “Everything about that morning was completely out of character.

“She was a loving mum and friend to many. She was really respected in work, she sparkled and had such warmth and kindness and gave so much to people.

“But she wasn’t herself and I’d been very worried about her mental health. Mum had been up late quite a few nights and told me she hadn’t been sleeping well – she must’ve been drinking late into the night to help her sleep.”

Lack of sleep can prolong the effects of alcohol in the system.

Ms Holman-Brant added: “She used to drive me to school and college along that road and would always wear a seatbelt.

“Mum would be so sorry about what happened.”

Senior coroner Christopher Wilkinson concluded the death as a road traffic collision.

After the inquest, Ms Holman-Brant said: “We are heartbroken that her life ended in this tragic way.

“We will always remember how she opened our eyes to the world, taught us to appreciate the precious nature of life, and made us laugh until we cried.

“We are grateful to the people who tried to help Annie after the crash, and our hearts go out to all the witnesses.

“There was an overwhelming flood of tributes about mum that we have received, from all areas of her life and especially from children and parents at the school where she worked.”