A LORRY driver who fell asleep at the wheel and killed a university lecturer and caused massive injuries to her "exceptional" young son, has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Yvan Vandermeulen had been on the road for more than his quota of hours and not taking breaks when his Scania truck smashed into Dr Sasha Spinnelli's Nissan Micra.

She had stopped on the hard shoulder of the M2 between Sittingbourne and Faversham on September 7.

Dr Spinnelli, a 40-year-old senior lecturer in English and American literature at Kent University in Canterbury, died soon afterwards. Her four-year-old son Leo was airlifted to hospital with serious leg injuries.

Maidstone Crown Court heard a heart-rending victim impact statement from the victim's husband Martin, of Lewes, east Sussex, about the transformation of their highly intelligent son.

The youngster, who now has to use a wheelchair, would introduce himself: "My name is Leo and I speak five languages." He spoke excellent Italian, as well as English, Spanish, French and German.

"He charmed everyone he met and everyone marvelled that he was only four," said Mr Spinnelli. "Today, life is very different. It is a relentless torrent of pain and tears."

Mr Spinnelli, who gave up his lecturer's post at Sussex University to care for his son, told how Leo even had compassion for Vandermeulen, saying: "I expect the driver of the lorry is a bit sad too."

The 54-year-old Belgian father-of-two admitted causing death by dangerous driving. He was also disqualified from driving for three years.