A DRIVING instructor who raced a high-powered car at more than 100mph prior to an accident that killed a father-of-four has been jailed.

Michael Lopez, 28, who trains driving instructors, was driving an Audi S2 Quattro that overtook a Lexus IS200 approaching a bend at 109mph on a dual carriageway at Sedgefield, County Dur-ham, in June 2003.

The Lexus, driven by surveyor David Matthews, crashed and hit a tree. Back seat passenger Leslie Clark, 54, died and Mr Matthews and two others were seriously injured.

Teesside Crown Court heard an expert engineer say it was the worst damage he had ever seen.

Judge Tony Briggs said the damage was so extensive it looked like the car had been destroyed by a bomb.

He told the court: "It was a horrific accident. It was a high-speed impact and the speed was greatly excessive."

Lopez, who had denied death by dangerous driving but was found guilty by a jury, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years' imprisonment.

Co-accused Matthews, 35, received a two-and-a-half-year sentence after he pleaded guilty. They were disqualified from driving for four years each. Last night, Mr Clark's family criticised the sentences and said they had been told the drivers would receive tougher sentences.

His son, Les, 33, of Hemlington, Middlesbrough, said: "Our lives have been destroyed.

"We just feel numbness. It is just not good enough, they took a life."

Mr Clark's widow, Patricia, said the sentence was disgusting, and was too upset to comment further.

The court heard the drivers did not know each other, but were both travelling at excessive speeds when the Audi overtook the Lexus. The cars collided and both drivers lost control of their vehicles.

Witnesses said it looked like the two men were racing, and one man described the driving as like a Formula One manoeuvre.

Eric Elliott, for Matthews, of Middle Lane, Wolviston, said his client, who was married with a young family, had been left crippled following the accident.

He said: "It is perhaps impossible for me, on behalf of Mr Matthews, to sufficiently, deeply and genuinely express an all-consuming remorse which he feels for what he has done."

Catherine Fagan, for Lopez, of Sycamore Road, Fishburn, County Durham, said: "He had an impeccable driving record, so much so it was his career."