Motorist avoids jail for M1 death

A female motorist avoided jail after her careless driving caused the death of a man on the M1 who went to the aid of a man who jumped from a bridge. Iram Shahzad, 32, had her sentence of14 months imprisonment suspended for two years by Judge Martin Griffith at St Albans Crown Court on April 17. She was also placed on supervision for one year and disqualified from driving for 18 months. “Good Samaritan” Spencer Bell, 71, a former policeman and tireless charity worker, bravely ventured out onto the carriageway to help Alan Tretheway, who had leapt from a bridge on the M1 between junctions five and six, dying instantly. However, as he tended to Mr Tretheway, Mr Bell was struck by a Toyota Previa being driven by mother of three, Mrs Shahzad. A court heard that, with two of her young children in the back of the car, she had sped up to the scene of the tragedy, tried to get round the slowing cars on lanes one and two by veering out into lane three before realising at the last moment the way ahead was blocked by two stationary vehicles. Instead of stopping, the young mother who was on her way to a funeral swerved back into lane two. It was there between the two lanes that Mr Bell was crouched at the feet of 67-year-old Mr Tretheway. The car slammed into Mr Bell, killing him instantly. For more on this read the next edition of My Watford News out on May 8.