A 46-YEAR-OLD man has been jailed for causing death by dangerous driving after a fatal crash on the M40.
Paul Allen, from Welshpool near Shrewsbury, pleaded guilty to the charge at Aylesbury Crown Court today and was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment, banned from driving for three years and ordered to resit a driving test.
Allen failed to slow down for slow-moving traffic waiting to join the M25 between junctions 2 and 1A of the M40 at around 6.50am on November 29, 2007.
The Scania curtain-sided lorry he was driving crashed into the rear of a silver Vauxhall Vectra which was being driven by Helen Jeanette Kelly, 39, from Oxfordshire.
She was airlifted to the Royal London Hospital with severe head injuries but later died in hospital.
The accident involved seven other vehicles, a number of the other motorists involved in the collision also sustained injuries.
Helen Kelly's husband, Don Kelly, who was in court for the sentencing of Mr Allen, said: "I would like to thank the police for all their efforts and am grateful that this terrible situation has come to an end.
"Both myself and my boys can now begin to move forward with our lives and begin to come to terms with life without Helen"
Investigating officer PC John Belson said: "This was an extremely serious collision which was made especially complicated due to the large number of vehicles and persons involved.
“The subsequent detailed investigation highlighted the very tragic consequences of inattention when driving."
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