Mum-of-two died walking across M62 after evening out with friends

Karen Waller, known as Karen Ozanne, from Birchwood, was struck by a Vauxhall Insignia on the eastbound carriageway at Birchwood, shortly after midnight on May 17 last year.

The 42-year-old lunchtime assistant had been socialising with her partner, long-term friend Kirsty McNulty and Kirsty's partner at her friend's home in Gorse Covert.

After drinking three vodka cokes, the friends visited The Poacher pub to meet up with their partners.

Kirsty told Cheshire Coroner's Court, sitting in Warrington on Tuesday, how Karen had lost her footing and fallen outside the pub and bitten her lip.

She sat Karen down outside and called both partners out of the pub and the group returned to Kirsty's house.

Giving evidence, Kirsty said there had been a 'discussion' between the pair and Karen became distressed and said she was leaving.

Kirsty tried to follow Karen but lost sight of her in the dark.

Karen's dad Jeffrey Ozanne was present in court and told the coroner Heath Westerman that his daughter was in 'high spirits' in the weeks leading up to her death.

The 42-year-old had suffered from type-one diabetes since she was four but 'poorly managed' the condition. The court was also told that the mum-of-two had been on antidepressants for a number of years but her mood had 'improved' before the tragic incident.

When visiting her GP, Karen denied any suicidal thoughts and stated her children were 'strong protective factors'.

Mr Ozanne said: "We would drink together every other Friday but I wouldn't say she was reliant on alcohol. I knew when to intervene and when to give her space, she would say 'everything is ok dad' when I asked her about her diabetes medication.

"I had no safety concerns for her life – she was up and down a lot due to a lot of traumatic events in her life as well as her diabetes.

"I used to worry about her all the time.

"It was always in the back of mind, 'I hope this girl doesn't do something silly'.

"The last time I saw her she was in great spirits and had been for quite a while, then all of a sudden this happened."

Thomas Kelly, a HGV driver was parked in an industrial estate next to junction 11 while on a night shift. He was woken up by the sound 'of a woman singing' and saw Karen walking towards the M62.

He said she was 'zigzagging as she walked' before disappearing behind another parked HGV. He rang the emergency services to report what he had seen.

Several other witnesses described seeing Karen on several parts of the M62 carriageways, dressed in dark clothing but 'not appearing drunk' and said cars and HGVs were 'swerving' to 'avoid something' in lane one of the eastbound carriageway.

The matrix signs indicated there was a pedestrian in the road and changed the speed limit to 50mph on the unlit motorway.

John Sutton and his partner were driving home from Liverpool Airport and in a 'split second' swerved after a figure appeared in his headlights.

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Investigating officers confirmed there was nothing Mr Sutton could have done to avoid Karen due to the lighting conditions and dark clothing she was wearing.

The toxicology report matched Ms McNulty's record and deemed Karen to be 'mildly intoxicated' rather than drunk.

Coroner Heath Westerman ruled the cause of death as a road traffic collision after saying he was satisfied from evidence that Karen did not intend to end her life that night.

He said: "It was a tragic event and it can never be explained why she went there and what she was doing.

"I hope you can remember her for the fine lady she was and not in the manner in which she died."