Smart motorways widow warned of more deaths months before child became second to die while stranded on M6

Badra Ahmed pleaded with Highways England bosses to stop turning hard shoulders into ‘live lanes’ after her husband’s inquest heard he had “nowhere to go” when his vehicle broke down on the M6.

And, an investigation by this newspaper found a coroner’s report calling for urgent action after Jamil Ahmed’s death was not submitted to Highways England. The coroner confirmed the document had now been sent, 21 months after it was promised.

Mr Ahmed, 36, a recovery driver, failed to reach an emergency refuge and stopped on the hard shoulder opened to traffic before his vehicle was hit by a lorry in August 2017 killing him instantly.