A PEDESTRIAN died on his 40th birthday when he was struck by at least three vehicles while staggering around in "pitch black" on the A64 near York, an inquest was told.

John Michael Harris, of Tadcaster, was killed while intoxicated on the westbound dual carriageway near York Racecourse at just before 5am on February 4 last year.

Traffic Constable Steven Gardner said none of the drivers could have had a view of him in the pitch black, other than when he was in their headlights, and they could not have stopped in time to avoid hitting him, and none of their vehicles had defects.

He said Mr Harris had rung 999 the evening before from Walmgate to ask police for assistance because his wallet had been stolen, but when officers had gone to search for him, they couldn’t find him.

He said CCTV cameras at the Tesco store at Askham Bar showed him trying to buy products at just before 2am the next morning but he was very unsteady on his feet and twice fell to the ground.

The inquest was told that tests showed the presence of morphine which could have impaired judgement and coordination prior to his death.

The inquest was told that Mr Harris, who had a history of drug abuse, had been living at his sister Toni’s home in Tadcaster after being released from jail the previous July, and he had gone to York on February 3 to buy drugs.

His sister said she thought he had been on his way home at the time when he died. She said her brother, known to his family as John-Boy, had been a "happy-go-lucky person", adding: “He had a heart of gold and would do anything for anyone.”

An HGV driver, Alan Jamieson, said he had parked overnight on a layby for a sleep, and after waking had seen Mr Harris staggering along in the middle of the eastbound carriageway.

He said he had shouted at him to get off the road but got no response at all. “He never looked towards me,” he said.

He said he tried to slow down traffic and called police, and put on all his lights, including his hazard warnings, but then Mr Harris crossed the barrier onto the opposite carriageway.

Drivers told how they mistook a shape lying in the road for a bag of cement, a deer and a carpet, and were unable to avoid striking it.

After pulling over to the side of the road, one driver told another: “He came out straight in front of me. I didn’t have a chance.”

Coroner Jonathan Leach concluded that Mr Harris died from multiple injuries in a road traffic collision.