A Victorian woman who lost her husband in a fatal car accident near Koroit in 2018 has been left devastated after a picture of the crash was used in a television ad without her consent.

The graphic image edited with sound effects was aired as part of a campaign by four shires to get funding for the Princes Highway.

Susan Hand says it was “horrifying” to see an image of her husband’s crash, accompanied by collision sounds, on television.

“The ad came on and featured a graphic picture of my husband’s accident from the front page of the paper, complete with crash sounds, and it was just horrifying,” she said.

“I really don’t understand how images like this can be used without people’s consent.

“It sends you straight back to square one.”

Ms Hand made a complaint about the thoughtless ad, and the image of her husband’s crash has been removed.

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