A 22-year-old who killed father-of-four Michael Rustell on the A36 in February has been handed a 16-month jail term.
Alexander Siu Kit Lee, of Park Road, Melksham, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving at Salisbury Magistrates’ Court in May, and was sentenced today in Winchester.
As well as the prison sentence, he has been banned from driving for three years, and will have to take a retest before regaining his licence.
Mr Rustell, 50, was killed on February 2 when Lee’s Volkswagen Golf collided with his Rover 500 on the A36 near Norridge Woods, just after 5pm.
At the magistrates hearing in May the court heard how Mr Lee had become “frustrated and impatient” as he waited behind a line of slow-moving cars, and began “bunny-hopping” them, until he was behind a HGV.
In an “obviously risky and dangerous” manoeuvre, he attempted to overtake it on a blind bend, and crashed head-first into Mr Rustell, who was travelling in the opposite direction.
An Air Ambulance was called, but the former Frome Town footballer suffered multiple injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Lee suffered minor injuries.
Mr Rustell lived in Rode with his wife Mary and two of his four children. He worked for a printers in Frome, and as a carer for the elderly. He had also been a retained firefighter for 12 years, and had been the longest-serving player at Beckington Cricket Club.
Causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving carries a maximum jail term of five years.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article