Driver's M6 death sparks more fears about smart motorways

THE death of a stranded driver who was hit by a lorry on a Midland section of the M6 without a hard shoulder has sparked new fears over smart motorways.

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Kevin O'Reilly suffered a large bleed inside the brain months after the collision near junction 12 in Staffordshire.

The 58-year-old's black Mitsubishi had been stranded in lane three of the northbound carriageway on June 29, 2023, after running out of fuel. It was then struck by a Volvo HGV at 5.51am.

Mr O'Reilly suffered a traumatic brain injury and spent time in hospitals and rehabilitation facilities before a CT scan on February 6 last year revealed he had a fatal bleed on his brain. He died later that day.

Staffordshire area coroner Emma Serrano has written to Highways England to say that 'action should be taken to prevent future deaths'.