An autistic man who was fatally hit by a lorry as he ran across the M56 in Frodsham may have been trying to retrieve his jacket, an inquest heard.

Jake Anthony Johnson, 22, of Riversdale, Frodsham, sustained a traumatic brain injury when he was struck on the Manchester-bound carriageway on the evening of January 6, 2014.

An inquest in Warrington heard yesterday (September 10) that Mr Johnson, who had been diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder suggestive of Asperger’s in late childhood, was a keen walker and his walking regime was a part of his condition.

Angela Horobin told the inquiry into her son’s death: “He used to get anxious when he wasn’t in a routine or if he felt he had put weight on because he loved to exercise and go walking.”

Mr Johnson would go walking five times a week at around the same time in the afternoon for one or two hours and his usual route would take him near the M56.

Mrs Horobin told the inquest Mr Johnson was one of the most positive people she knew and, to the best of her knowledge, he didn’t suffer from depression or low mood.

On the afternoon of January 6, Mr Johnson told his mum he intended to look for a new route on his walk that day.

Mrs Horobin said he returned home at around 5pm but only her husband saw him.

He took a sandwich up to his room and switched his computer on, but left the house again some minutes later.

Offering an explanation for her son being on the motorway that day, Mrs Horobin said his jacket may have blown off, in which case he would have wanted to get it back.

“Whatever made Jake run across the road, he would not have meant to put anyone in any danger,” she said.

Motorist Peter Marsh told the inquest he had been approaching the exit at junction 12 of the M56 to return to his home in Helsby at around 5.40pm when a figure ran from the hard shoulder in the direction of the central reservation.

Mr Marsh, who had been travelling with his wife and youngest daughter, swerved to avoid Mr Johnson but remained in the nearside lane.

He said he felt something go under the car and saw an item of clothing with arm holes lying on the carriageway in his rear-view mirror.

Mr Johnson was fatally struck by a Volvo lorry driven by Stephen Griffiths, of Sunhill Transport in Flint.

He said he saw Mr Marsh’s car, which was in front of him, swerve without warning and then a man running directly towards his vehicle.

He had been travelling at no more than the vehicle’s maximum speed of 56mph when he made contact with Mr Johnson.

Giving evidence, PC Baddeley, of Cheshire Constabulary’s Collision Investigation Unit, said Mr Griffiths had applied the brakes at or around the time of the collision and had acted promptly.

Both Mr Griffiths and Mr Marsh said they thought Mr Johnson hadn’t been wearing a jacket when he entered their paths on the motorway.

A brown overcoat was found by police on the access steps to the motorway, where it is believed Mr Johnson accessed the motorway.

Clifford Orrell, giving evidence on behalf of the Highways Agency, told the inquest there was neither fencing nor signage indicating pedestrian access was not permitted in early January this year.

He said, however, that chain-link mesh fencing has since been installed, and that engineers are in the throes of submitting plans to the Highways Agency to erect higher fencing and restrict access to the steps altogether.

A toxicology report found no evidence of any drugs or alcohol in Mr Johnson’s system at the time of his death.

Recording a conclusion of death by accident, assistant coroner for Cheshire Alan Moore described Mr Johnson’s passing as ‘a very sad and tragic incident that took a matter of seconds’.

“We will never know for sure what Jake’s plans or intentions were,” he said.

“Mrs Horobin told us in her evidence that maybe Jake’s jacket had blown away on to the motorway and, given Jake’s condition, he would simply have had to go and get it.

“I cannot be sure of that but it is a possibility because there is no other explanation why he went on to the M56.”

Mr Moore added that he intended to issue a report to the Highways Agency requesting that access to the carriageway be prohibited.

Speaking to the Chronicle following the inquest, Mrs Horobin paid tribute to her ‘beloved son’:

“We loved him so much. He was so kind. I don’t know how we will live without him.”