A young father died when he was hit by multiple cars on the M6 in Cumbria, an inquest has heard.
John Burns was killed on the northbound carriageway close to Junction 42 south of Carlisle on September 14 last year.
An inquest into his death took place at Cockermouth Coroner’s Court on Thursday.
The court heard that the 23-year-old was a regular at Celtic Park and usually travelled back to his father’s house in Glasgow by taxi after matches.
Instead, on the evening of September 14, he ended up on a Celtic supporters bus headed for Blackburn. The dad-of-one travelled for nearly two hours on the coach before getting off in Carlisle.
Passengers on the supporters’ bus said he had boarded with the intention to go on a night out in Preston, but after being told he would be better off getting off at Carlisle to head home, he disembarked with four other passengers near the J42 slip road, which was a usual drop-off spot for the bus.
He was last seen by others on the supporters’ bus, sitting on a safety railing using his phone. They told the investigation that they were under the impression he was waiting for a lift back to Glasgow.
Minutes later, he was seen trying to get the attention of drivers on the nearby motorway roundabout, intentionally blocking their path.
A motorist travelling with his young granddaughter, who thought he was under the influence, did not stop and subsequently called the police.
The court heard that John then made his way down to the northbound carriageway of the M6 on foot and was hit by three cars within minutes of the last sighting.
In a statement, John’s mother described him as a “good partner and daddy” and “a Celtic fan through and through”.
He was described as a loving and loyal friend, and a kind soul who will be sorely missed.
In her closing remarks, coroner Margaret Taylor described this as “a very tragic death of a young man”.
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