A MAN died after being hit by a car on the hard shoulder of a motorway, an inquest has heard.

David Bailey had been driving his BMW in severe weather conditions when he lost control of the vehicle crashing into the central reservation on the M6 northbound near junction 35 on January 16.

The 34-year-old, from Copster Green, managed to get out of his car and cross the carriageway – and sought refuge behind a barrier on the hard shoulder.

But it was while he was behind the barrier that he was struck by a Skoda Octavia, the hearing heard.

He suffered serious injuries and was taken to Royal Preston Hospital where he died on January 27.

Mr Bailey’s medical cause of death was recorded as a ‘devastating’ brain injury and trauma.

The inquest at Preston Coroner’s Court heard how there had been a sudden and significant hailstorm at the time of the incident

The hearing heard how the weather had caused serious difficulties on both carriageways of the motorway, leading to several collisions.

PC Rachel Carberry, of the collision investigation unit, said hail had left the carriageway like an ice rink.

She said: “I attended to reports of a hailstorm that had occurred at the scene.

“The hailstorm happened in a microclimate, so covering a small distance of the carriageway and it was very sudden.

“It was significant and caused a sheet of hailstones on the carriageway so it was like an ice rink.

“A number of vehicles were unable to keep control due to this.

“There had been a large number of vehicles on the northbound and southbound carriageways that had lost control.”

PC Carberry said a Jaguar had collided with the barrier, before a Peugeot collided with the same barrier, causing it to further weaken.

Mr Bailey’s BMW then collided with the central reservation.

Coroner Richard Taylor concluded that Mr Bailey died as a result of a road traffic collision.

Mr Taylor added: “Mr Bailey died on January 27 from injuries sustained on January 16 when he was behind a barrier on a hard shoulder of the northbound M6 near junction 35.

“He abandoned the vehicle he had been driving in the aftermath of a significant hailstorm. He was then struck by another vehicle that had mounted the barrier.”