THE tragic crash which killed a lorry driver on the A12 at Langham after being struck by two cars was unavoidable, an inquest heard.

There was nothing the drivers could have done to avoid colliding with Dariusz Lopatka, according to PC Alan Barlow who gave evidence at Essex Coroner’s Court.

Mr Lopatka, who was 55, died of multiple injuries on September 26 after he was hit by a Land Rover Discovery coming towards him in a layby.

The driver was heading towards Ipswich when Mr Lopatka left his vehicle at a service station and walked into the carriageway.

A second car, a Ford C-Max, also struck Mr Lopatka.

He was pronounced dead at 10.20pm.

PC Barrow said: “It was a dark, misty night and the road surface was dry.

“The reasons, which can’t be established from physical evidence, is why Mr Lopatka got into the main carriageway of the A12.

“Having fallen to the ground, he was subsequently struck by the Ford.

“Mr Lopatka sustained injuries from which he sadly died.

“There would have been no expectancy of seeing a pedestrian in the carriageway and there was nothing more either of the drivers could have done in the distance and time available to avoid a collision.”

The inquest heard Mr Lopatka, who was from Poland, may have parked his vehicle at the location with the intention of staying somewhere nearby overnight.

Why he left the car is unclear but he may have wanted somewhere to use the toilet, the court was told.

Test drives on both vehicles showed no defects and the windscreens were clear, but given there were no street lights in the area, they were unlikely to have seen the victim.

Mr Lopatka died at the scene.

Neither driver was injured and no-one involved in the collision was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Caroline Beasley-Murray, senior Essex coroner, recorded the cause of death as an accident and expressed her sympathy to the family.

She was told Mr Lopatka’s partner was unable to afford the airfare to travel to the UK for the inquest.

READ MORE: MAN DIES AFTER BEING HIT BY A CAR WHILST IN A LAYBY