A MOTORIST overtaking a horsebox sparked a four-vehicle crash on the A12 in which a county education adviser was killed, a court heard yesterday.Hannah Snelling, 28, pulled out to overtake, crashed into an oncoming Range Rover, and the collision sent it careering into the path of a Ford Mondeo – killing its driver, 59-year-old Geoff Hundleby.

A MOTORIST overtaking a horsebox sparked a four-vehicle crash on the A12 in which a county education adviser was killed, a court heard.

Hannah Snelling, 28, pulled out to overtake, crashed into an oncoming Range Rover, and the collision sent it careering into the path of a Ford Mondeo.

The driver of the Mondeo, 59-year-old Geoff Hundleby, died at the scene.

The father-of-two was travelling from his home at Carlton Colville, near Lowestoft, to work in Ipswich when the accident happened at about 8.20am on October 8.

The court heard that Snelling, of The Hill, Bramfield, near Halesworth, was at the wheel of a left-hand drive Smart car travelling south on a single carriageway stretch of the A12 at Kelsale.

James Terry, prosecuting, told Lowestoft magistrates: "She pulled out to see if it was possible to overtake. That required her to pull out further and at that point she came into contact with a vehicle.

"It was knocked off course and was seen to weave on the road before coming into contact with a Mondeo two vehicles behind."

The driver of the Range Rover, Carole Freeman, was airlifted to Ipswich Hospital. She was discharged after three days.

The driver of a DAF tipper truck, which was behind the Smart car, escaped unharmed.

Ben Casey, mitigating, said that Snelling, who admitted driving without due care and attention, had been severely affected by the accident. He said the accident had been caused by a momentary lapse of judgement.

"There was no excessive speed, carelessness or use of a mobile phone," he said. "This is not an example of reckless or wanton driving.

"She was able to see down the left-hand side of the horsebox and she believed the road was clear. It is an error of judgement that has had tragic consequences."

Snelling was fined £400, banned from driving for three months and ordered to pay £35 costs during the hearing at Lowestoft Magistrates Court.

Afterwards, education chiefs joined family and friends to pay tribute Mr Hundleby, an education adviser with Suffolk County Council.

His wife Sheila said her husband had scribbled a message for her because he had to go to work in Ipswich that day.

She said: "He rushed off early because he had got a meeting. He left me a note to say that he had got to be off by 8am and he died half an hour later.

"It was so very sudden. He said he would be home for 6pm."

The couple, who married in 1967 at Rackheath parish church near Norwich, met at teacher training college in Cheltenham. They had two children, Peter, 29, and Jill, 25, who is a teacher.

"He was a quiet and loving man who loved his family and loved gardening and classical music," Mrs Hundleby said.

The county council said he had dedicated himself to the service of children in the county for more than 36 years and would be sorely missed both by his immediate colleagues and by a multitude of teachers, religious leaders and former pupils.