Overview

• Barbara Roe, diagnosed with bipolar disorder, was sentenced to five years in prison and banned from driving for seven and a half years for causing her son's death by dangerous driving.
• The crash occurred on March 25, 2024, when Roe, driving a rented Citroën, overtook a van at high speed on a blind bend, colliding head-on with a livestock lorry in Dorset.
• Zac Roe, her nine-year-old son, died at the scene; the lorry driver, deemed blameless, has since suffered significant trauma.
• Zac's father, Josh Roe, had repeatedly warned police, child services, and the school about Barbara Roe's deteriorating mental health, but no action was taken to prevent her from picking up their son.
• The case has reignited concerns over systemic failures in addressing mental health crises and protecting vulnerable children.