The heartbroken widow of a Good Samaritan killed trying to help someone who jumped from a bridge over the M1 has said she “did not want” the driver to go to prison.

Iram Shahzad, 32, was given a suspended jail sentence of 14 months after crashing into Spencer Bell, 71, who had rushed to the aid of Alan Trethewey in the middle of the northbound carriageway.

Trethewey, 67, had jumped from a bridge over the M1 on January 30 last year.

Motorists, including Mr Bell, stopped in the carriageway and hard-shoulder to help Mr Trethewey after he plunged from the bridge between Junction 5 and 6 near Watford.

St Albans Crown Court heard Shahzad was driving to a funeral in Bradford with two young children in the back of the car at the time of the tragedy.

The 32-year-old pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving in March.

The court heard today how the mother-of-three had been driving in the middle lane of the northbound M1.

Peter Shaw, prosecuting, said: “On encountering the slowing traffic on the approach to Bucknalls Lane over-bridge, she moved into lane three to pass it, at a speed between 82-88mph.

“She became aware of the hazard warning lights of a stationary vehicle ahead of her as she was approximately two car lengths from it.

“To avoid collision with the vehicle, she swerved to the left and in doing so, collided with Mr Bell as he was crouched down attending to Mr Trethewey.

Mrs Shahzad’s vehicle also ran over Mr Trethewey.”

Witness Sean Cosgrove said in a statement read to the court: “The car came from lane three, there was a screech of brakes and what looked like a last ditch effort to swerve left.

“Then there was a sickening loud bang that I will never forget.”

A number of other witnesses said the collision was “avoidable” and the driver “would have had a clear view” of what was happening.

Wendy Bell, told St Albans Crown Court: “My life has ended. Once it was full of laughter, giggles, chatting all day long and happiness. Now it is misery, sadness and tears.

“My life was full of cuddles, kisses, holding hands and joy.

“Once I could not remember the last time I cried. Now I cry all the time I am on my own, which is an awful lot. I have nothing to look forward to, my life has ended and I am just marking time until I join him.

“I wake each morning and for a few seconds think it was a nightmare, then I realise it is not and I cry.

“He was a good, kind unselfish man, who was always ready to help anyone. As was proved the day he was killed.”

The court heard Shahzad’s marriage had broken down and she had had a row with her husband moments before leaving for the funeral of her husband’s aunt in Bradford.

The 32-year-old was said to be "remorseful".

In a police interview, Mrs Shahzad, said: “’I assumed I was going seventy and I was really stressed out on that day and I did not pay attention to the speed. I thought I was doing seventy, because I never exceed my speed on the motorway.’”

“I did not mean to do it. If I would have seen it earlier or I could have stopped, it is just everything just happened all of a sudden and it was my husband just going on in my mind, the way he left, took me out of my house and I was getting worried if I do not get there, he is not going to let me come back home”.

Judge Martin Griffith said Shahzad’s three children would be the worst affected if she was jailed.

He said: “I suspect you were driving too quickly because you were late and because of what happened and you had taken your mind off what it should have been on.”

Mr Griffith added the phrase “Good Samaritan” was used too often, but Mr Bell had “tried to save another human being”.

Reacting to the sentencing, Ms Bell said: “It was what we expected. We could not have expected any more.

“I didn’t want her to go to prison because she has three young children and they have not done anything wrong. I just wanted her to be banned from driving.”

Shahzad has also been banned from driving for 18 months and Restorative Justice has been ordered. This means Ms Bell can talk to Mrs Shahzad about the tragedy.