A 27-YEAR-OLD man who was hit by multiple vehicles after walking out onto the M5 motorway may not have committed suicide, despite “suicidal thoughts” prior to his death, a court has ruled.

Bartosz Bednarek, who moved to Bristol from Poland in 2009, was killed on the northbound carriageway of the M5, between junctions 15 in Almondsbury and 14 for Thornbury, in the early hours of Thursday, September 14 after being hit by a lorry and a number of other vehicles.

It was heard today at Avon Coroner's Court that Mr Bednarek had sought help from Southmead Hospital nine days before his death, saying he felt “suicidal”.

In a statement from Joe Lovell, senior practitioner at North Bristol Crisis Service, he said that Mr Bednarek he had been living in his van after losing his home after a recent break-up with his partner, and had lost his job as a forklift driver. It was also noted he had a growing dependence on alcohol.

He was given a high risk rating, with the “lack of stability” having an impact on his mental wellbeing, but was apparently agreeable to working with the Bristol Crisis team and receiving daily visits.

He had visited the team at the Greenway Community Centre on September 10 and was noted to have been complying with medication, which was noted again during a visit on the evening of September 12.

During a visit on the evening before his death, it was noted he was “warm, friendly and clean shaven”, but was still displaying suicidal idealism.

A statement provided to the court by sister-in-law Magdalena Rezmer highlighted that family members had noticed a change in his behaviour following a motorcycle accident in 2012, when he sustained a brain injury from not wearing a helmet. Since then, they described him as having a “split personality”.

It was also heard that his father had taken his life in 2007, and since moving to the UK, Mr Bednarek had been sending money back to Poland to support his mother.

In August 2017, Mr Bednarek had moved in with a new girlfriend, sharing a flat with her for two-to-three weeks before they broke up.

During this time, his family said he had been pushing them away, only communicating through text messages saying that they “were not his family” and that he “did not want their help”.

The court heard statements from Matthew Giles who had been driving a tractor and trailer that collided with Mr Bednarek, and Szymon Dencka, a driver for logistics company DHL who had witnessed Mr Bednarek walk out onto the carriageway.

In concluding, assistant coroner Myfanwy Buckeridge acknowledged that the previous motorcycle accident had potentially altered Mr Bednarek’s personality and that he had contacted emergency services due to “delusional and suicidal” feelings, but said the question of intent when he walked out in front of the vehicles was “unclear”.

She said: “If I were to conclude suicide, I would have be satisfied beyond all reasonable doubt that I am sure Bartosz Bednarek took steps deliberately to end his own life, believing at all times that his death would result from the steps he was taking.

“I have clear evidence that in the past he had suicidal feelings, but do not have any evidence in relation to the state of his mind immediately prior to the moment when he stepped out into the motorway.

“I have evidence that he did step out but have no evidence to indicate why the vehicle was stationary at the side of the motorway, or what his intention was at that time.

"In those circumstances, I cannot be satisfied that he intended death would result from the actions he was taking. I can’t rule out that this was a tragic accident of some sort. So I have reached a narrative conclusion that he died from injuries resulting from being struck by multiple vehicles. But the question of intent was unclear.”