Open verdict on Newbury woman who "lay down" on motorway

Kaja Lerum Sammartino, then aged 38, of Donnington Square, died on Tuesday, October 23 at about 6am on the eastbound carriageway of the M4 between junctions 13 (Chieveley) and 12 (Theale).
The inquest on Wednesday heard that mother of two, Mrs Lerum Sammartino had pulled her grey Mazda onto the hard shoulder but had clipped the safety barrier as she had done so.
Before leaving the car she switched off her engine and turned on her hazard lights.
Witness to the incident, lorry diver Richard Hanton, said in a statement that he had just driven past junction 13 when he saw a woman appear to lay down on the carriageway.
He swerved to the middle lane and managed to avoid Mrs Lerum Sammartino before he pulled up onto the hard shoulder in front of the Mazda.
His statement said: “I thought, she’s trying to kill herself. It seemed pretty deliberate. It was not like somebody was running into the road; they just came and laid down in the road.”
As Mr Hanton left his cab and started to call the police, a vehicle struck Mrs Lerum Sammartino.
In evidence, forensic collision investigator, Tony Reading, said that Mrs Lerum Sammartino could well have struck her head when she hit the safety barrier which could have led her to enter the carriageway.
However, her injuries were so severe that the post-mortem was unable to confirm whether she had sustained any injuries before being struck by the lorry.
He said: “For reasons unknown she lay down. She may well have hit her head – there’s no strong evidence to say she did and there’s no strong evidence to say she didn’t.”
Mrs Lerum Sammartino’s doctor, Simon Jones, said that Mrs Lerum Sammartino had had a history of depression since about 2004 and that she had once talked of suicidal thoughts but said she would never carry out the threat because of the devastating impact it would have on her family.
In recording an open verdict, Berkshire coroner, Peter Bedford, said: “We can never fully know why she struck the barrier, nor can we know how this affected her both mentally and physically – the potential for physical injury I cannot ignore.
“Were these the actions of a lady who deliberately placed herself in the path of a lorry?
“There’s no clear explanation.”
Following the inquest, her husband Pablo Sammartino, said: “Six months after Kaja’s departure we still miss her like the first day, perhaps a touch more today being her birthday.
“Her generous, humble and caring persona is our daily beacon of strength with trust in God and the confidence that her angel looks after us, especially my children, every single day.”
“As a Christian and Catholic, I would like to offer our prayers for anyone connected in any way with this tragic incident, and to ask for your thoughts and prayers for our family as we continue to rebuild our lives without Kaja’s physical presence.”
He thanked everyone at St Finian’s RC Primary School, St Francis de Sales Church in Wash Common, their neighbours in Donnington Square and the family’s friends across West Berkshire and family and friends from across the world for all the support they had shown the family in this “extremely challenging time.”.
He also thanked members of Thames Valley Police for their support since the death of Mrs Lerum Sammartino.
He added: “Also, I would like to highlight our gratitude to Thames Valley Police Three Mile Cross Joint Operations Unit, not only for their outstanding work but also for the thoughtful way in which we have been treated during these six months.
“Both Pc Matthew Clayton and Sgt Richard Thorpe have behaved above and beyond the call of duty, with a unique combination of professional excellence and human empathy for me, my children and our extended family.”