A MOTHER who smashed her car into a lorry and trees after falling asleep at the wheel escaped a driving ban yesterday.

Harrogate magistrates heard how 35-year-old Nedzeda Colakovic had driven for three hours after taking over the wheel from her sick husband as the family, including two children, returned to their Tyneside home from a trip to Bosnia.

As she drove north on the A1 at Rainton, near Ripon, her Peugeot caught the back of an articulated lorry and spun off on the nearside into trees.

The court heard all four occupants of the car had to have hospital treatment, though none had been seriously hurt in the early morning collision on September 15.

Colakovic, who pleaded guilty to careless driving, told police: "I was thinking about home and looking round at my kids. I just heard a crashing sound. My husband was asleep, my kids were crying. I wanted to know they were okay."

In court, Colakovic said: "I was so tired. I should have stopped for a break. We had so many delays it made me so very tired. My husband drove most of the way, but he felt sick so I took over. I thought I could make it home."

Fining Colakovic £200 with £45 costs and nine penalty points, court chairman David Davies told her: ''There have been very serious accidents in this country where people have fallen asleep.

"We take this very seriously and you have come close to a driving ban.''