POLICE have warned of the dangers of sleep-starved motorists getting behind the wheel in the wake of a horrific late night crash that claimed the life of a recovery driver.

Susan Lowe, 62, dozed off on her way home from a music convention in Bournemouth, mounted the verge at up to 50mph and smashed into a broken-down Peugeot that Terry Booth was trying to repair.

Mr Booth, 58, from Ferndown, died from multiple injuries at the scene of the crash on the eastbound section of the A31 at Poulner, near Ringwood, in June of last year. He was understood to have been standing between the Peugeot and his recovery truck.

The widow, who lives in Leeds, was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving and yesterday was jailed for two years. She was handed a four-year driving ban and told to take an extended re-test on its completion.

Throughout the sentencing hearing, she sat with her head down in the dock at Southampton Crown Court and heard Judge Christopher Leigh QC say he accepted the prosecution’s account she had fallen asleep.

Jurors heard Lowe had almost 600m visibility and Mr Booth had done everything he could to ensure approaching drivers of the vehicles’ presence by having his truck lit up like “a Christmas tree”.

The judge told Lowe: “I don’t think that, when you set out, you realised you were as tired as you were.”

He said he had also read a letter from her sister-in-law that she was “very depressed and still traumatised” from the effects of the accident.

In mitigation, Charles Gabb said that immediately after the accident, Lowe stopped and flagged down other motorists to get help.

After the hearing, Sgt Mal Rigby, senior officer in the case, said Lowe’s conviction was a warning of the danger of driving while tired.

“The crash happened when she was using a relatively busy route late at night. Her lack of sleep compounded the effect these conditions had on her driving.

“Consequently she will have to live with the knowledge she is responsible for Terry Booth’s death for the rest of her life.

“Sadly, we believe it could have been avoided with a little more planning. If you’re driving and feel tired, don’t just carry on. Make sure you find time to rest in a safe place and ask yourself ‘Is getting there any quicker worth the risk?’.”

Following the verdict, Mr Booth’s partner, who did not wish to be named, said of him: “I just want people to know Terry was a genuine, lovely person who tragically died doing the job he loved, which was helping people.”