Simon Wagner died when he was struck at 70mph by a car on the M3 near Fleet services in Hampshire. At the time of the collision, Wagner had a blood alcohol level 2.6 times the drink-drive limit and appeared to be cycling across the southbound carriageway towards the central reservation, for reasons which remain unknown.
Police received a call at 10.29pm advising them of a cyclist on the motorway near junction 4a, and then shortly afterwards were notified that there had been a collision. Investigator PC Andy McDonald told the inquest, held in August 2016, that Wagner had cycled “a considerable distance” along the M3, “mostly on the hard shoulder, some in lane one and some in lane two”.
Coroner Andrew Bradley recorded a verdict of accidental death.