Hitchhiker died after walking onto M4 carriageway, coroner concludes
They said Robert Blaszczyk drunk 'a quantity' of alcohol, and as he was wearing dark clothing, drivers wouldn't have been able to avoid him in time
A coroner has concluded a hitchhiker from Swindon died after walking onto carriageway of the M4.
The incident happened back on the 9th of December 2023, where he was seen on the roundabout above junction 16 before making his way onto the motorway.
They said Robert Blaszczyk drunk 'a quantity' of alcohol, and as he was wearing dark clothing - it was unlikely the drivers would have seen him.
The HM Coroner said: “On the 9 December 2023 Robert Tomasz Blaszczyk had visited family and left in the late afternoon, to travel home by bus.
"Robert was seen walking in the carriageway, on the roundabout above Junction 16 of the M4 motorway, having consumed a quantity of alcohol.
"Robert was also seen on the slip road to the M4 motorway and more likely than not, at some point, entered onto the M4 motorway for reasons that remain unclear, where he was struck by a motor vehicle, whilst standing upright, before being knocked to the ground, where his body was then struck by a number of vehicles causing extensive injuries to his body, in the vicinity of marker post 130/5B Swindon.
"Given that Robert was wearing dark clothing at an unlit location, where motorists would not expect to see pedestrians, it is unlikely that any of the motorists whose vehicles struck Robert, would have had an awareness of his presence.”
The conclusion in this case was that it was a Road Traffic Collision.