A CELTIC fan died after being struck by several cars after walking on the M6 while drunk, an inquest heard.
John Burns, 22, boarded a coach full of football fans heading to Blackburn, Lancashire in September last year.
FacebookJohn Burns tragically died after walking onto the M6 motorway[/caption]
FacebookThe young football fan had boarded a bus heading to Lancashire after a Celtic game[/caption]
The dad-of-one had been at the Hoops’ clash against Hearts at Parkhead.
John boarded the England-bound coach telling those on board he wanted to go to a party in Preston.
Fellow passengers on the bus told Cockermouth Coroners’ Court the young student was drunk when he boarded.
He told the coach’s organiser he had enough cash to get back from Preston.
John got off the bus with other fans at Junction 42 near Carlisle, and said someone would pick him up.
People reported seeing him sitting behind a safety barrier looking at his phone.
But tragedy unfolded when a driver told the court John was “waving his hands around” and walked onto the northbound lanes of the motorway trying to get him to stop.
The motorist told the court: “He stood in my path intentionally, he was trying to get me to stop.”
The driver, who had his grandchild in the motor, was unable to stop for John and needed to call the police.
When he drove onto a bridge to try and tell cops where to find the young Scot he “heard a bump” as he was struck by a motor.
He then saw two other cars hit John in the horrific incident.
The driver told the court: “It was clear he had been hit.”
All three motorists who hit John on the busy motorway stopped to call cops after the accident.
They told police they couldn’t see him until it was too late.
A coroner found there was nothing the drivers could have done to avoid the tragedy.
PA:Press AssociationJohn died after being struck by three cars on the M6 near Carlisle[/caption]
AlamyCumbria Police probed the tragedy[/caption]
The coroner added: “It’s not possible to say which impact caused his death, very possibly all three impacts.”
Cumbria Police launched a probe into the tragedy and found there was no evidence John had taken his own life by walking into traffic on the motorway.
They were taking into account the face he was drunk after a toxicology report found he had 207mg of alcohol per litre of blood.
Officers were also taking into account a brain injury John sustained in 2018 after he was assaulted and previous struggles he had with mental health.
His mum Marion Bell told the court: “Following this incident he was different, he had anxiety, but he didn’t seek any help.”
The coroner added John had “hitched a lift” with the English fans but he “probably shouldn’t have been on that coach at all”.
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