A widow has backed a judge's decision not to send a man to prison whose careless driving killed her "selfless" husband.
Ian Glanister was riding his motorbike back home when he was struck by Gordon Hyland's car as he left a countryside hotel site.
The 29-year-old, a former Merseyside Police officer, suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene.
On Monday, the 50-year-old was convicted of causing the death of the St Helens dad-of-two by careless driving on March 28, last year.
But a judge has indicated he will not send Hyland to prison after deciding that custody would "not be appropriate."
Today, widow Leighanne Glanister said she supported that decision, adding it was "comforting" to know Hyland's children "wouldn't suffer."
The 31-year-old told the ECHO: "From the get go, I personally didn't think this would end in a custodial sentence.
"I've had 20 months of pain seeing my daughter without her dad, so I welcome the judge's decision.
"Nobody wants to see other children suffer and I've been on that hamster wheel, so to know Hyland's children can escape that is comforting.
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"There's no shred of doubt that day was a tragic accident, but unfortunately, one momentary lapse of concentration has led to him being slightly complacent."
Mr Glanister, who lived in the Parr area of St Helens, was on his way home from work as a vehicle recovery worker and was riding on Manchester Road in Knutsford, Cheshire, when the crash happened.
Hyland's car was leaving Cottons Hotel, at around 6.25pm, when he pulled out in his silver Mercedes from the junction as a black BMW was making a left turn into the same hotel.
But the 50-year-old had not seen the Suzuki motorbike behind the BMW, ridden by advance driver Mr Glanister, leading to the accident.
On Monday, at Chester Crown Court, Hyland, of Bexton Lane, Knutsford, sat with his head bowed as the majority verdict was announced following a three day trial.
His Honour Judge Everett, The Honorary Recorder for Chester, then said: "I will not be considering a custodial sentence because it would not be appropriate for me to do so.
"This has been a tragedy all round, particularly for the family of Mr Glanister.
"I saw nothing during this trial to suggest Mr Hyland won't be bearing what happened that day for the rest of his life."
Mrs Glanister told the ECHO how she was speaking to her husband at the exact time the crash happened on his hands-free device.
She said: "I was mid-sentence with Ian when he shouted a profanity and I heard a very loud noise and then the phone cut out.
"I knew something wasn't right.
"I prayed the phone had just slipped out of his leathers, but an hour passed by and we still hadn't heard from him.
"Me and his daughter Jennifer went out looking for him and then I got a call from a neighbour saying the police were outside my house."
Mr Glanister had two children, Jennifer, seven, and Megan, 11, from a previous relationship.
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He used to work for Merseyside Police as a special constable and also was employed for the Civil Nuclear Constabulary.
Mrs Glanister added: "Ian was a very giving person, much to his own detriment, and would do anything for anybody.
"When the accident first happened, one lady reached out to tell me Ian had saved a girl's life, it was a prime example of who he was.
"He was very selfless.
"When the floods hit St Helens, he'd just go out in the van and pull people out of the water.
"He was very family orientated and he spent as much time as he could with his girls.
"The support we've had off people has been phenomenal and overwhelming."
Hyland, who denied any wrongdoing will be sentenced in January, with Judge Everett also telling him he will be disqualified from driving.
