Tragedy as mechanic steps in front of lorry on motorway after pulling up on hard shoulder

A mechanic from Salford died tragically after stepping in front of a lorry in a ‘deliberate’ act on the M61, an inquest has heard.

Scott Hall, 31, of Little Hulton had parked his Vauxhall Astra on the hard shoulder of the busy motorway close to Chorley, Lancashire, before the heartbreaking incident on October 14th 2022. An inquest into his death heard witnesses say they saw him exit his vehicle on the driver’s side before he was struck.

Preston Coroner’s Court heard that lorry driver Paul Grey had been driving at 56mph. A police investigation found that Mr Grey had not had time to take any evasive action. The HGV he was driving was travelling within the speed limit and checks confirmed he hadn’t been using his phone at the time of the collision, Lancashire Live reports.

Mr Grey told police: “I saw the white vehicle parked up about 400 yards away and didn’t consider it unusual at first. When I was about 200 yards away the driver’s door opened slightly and my initial reaction was ‘don’t be so stupid’.

“I had already looked in my mirror to see if I could move if he stepped out but there was a car and moving out wasn’t an option. The door closed again and I thought ‘ah well that’s ok, he’s safe’.

“But as I approached, the door opened wide and the gentleman stepped out of his car in what I can only describe as a lunge and he dived towards my vehicle. I didn’t have time to brake and the next thing I heard a loud thud.”

Gail Oldfield was driving along at the same time and saw Scott get out of his vehicle. She said in a statement: “He was leaning out and looking directly at me.

“His posture changed and I knew at that moment what he was doing. I put my foot down and speeded up to get past him and out of the way. It was clear to me he was going to kill himself.

“In my rear view mirror I could see a lorry and the man got hit. He seemed to just disappear.”

Francine Bevington was another eye-witness who saw Scott emerge from his van. She said: “All of a sudden he dashed across and I screamed. It all happened so quickly.”

An inquest held on Thursday March 2nd heard that the cause of Scott’s death was given as a head injury, pneumothorax and spinal fracture. He had also suffered multiple fractures to his spine, pelvis, head, chest and limbs. Toxicology tests revealed that although Scott had alcohol in his system, it was below the drink drive limit and there was also evidence of recent cocaine use.

Returning a conclusion of suicide, Area Coroner Chris Long, who viewed the incident on dashcam footage, said: “Scott Hall died on October 14th 2022, on the M61 near Chorley. Mr Hall stepped directly in front of a lorry.

“He was seen to look at traffic and walk deliberately into the road. In these circumstances I am satisfied that Mr Hall took steps to deliberately end his life and intended to end his life.”

If you’re struggling with mental health issues, there are people out there you can talk to.

For confidential support the Samaritans can be contacted for free around the clock 365 days a year on 116 123. You can also email the Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org, write to Freepost RSRB-KKBY-CYJK, PO Box 9090, STIRLING, FK8 2SA or visit www.samaritans.org/branches to find your nearest branch.

You can also contact the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) at 0800 58 58 58 or via their website here.

Alternatively, you can find more mental health services around Greater Manchester on the NHS Foundation Trust website.