A “KIND and caring” father died after he was hit by several vehicles on the A303.

The body of Lee Jones was found near Popham Services just after midnight on May 23, an inquest at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court heard.

It is thought the 27-year-old tripped and fell onto the road as he walked home from The Fox in North Waltham.

The inquest held last Tuesday heard how Mr Jones, who lived in a caravan off the A303, went for a drink that evening with his room-mate Martin Chivers.

Mr Chivers told the inquest: “We had a good night and for most of the night, we were sitting in different parts – I was talking to someone and Lee was talking to [other] people.

“At the end of the night I couldn’t walk home as my gout was killing me. I came back, went straight to bed and the next thing I know the police were there.”

The inquest heard from a number of drivers who had been travelling on the A303 at the time Mr Jones’ body was found.

Lorry driver Paul Tarrant said there was “nothing unusual” about his journey until he saw a body, lying face up, in the middle of the two lanes.

He said: “A smaller car had pulled up in front and I stopped to get out of the lorry and walked over to the body to see if I could get it out of the road.

Then another car pulled up by my lorry but I couldn’t see if it hit the body.

“I got closer to the body and could tell he was a male and had already died.”

Motorist Victor Harry, who was also on the A303 at the time of the incident, said he saw the lorry but was not warned of the body in the road, adding: “I did not look at what I hit and didn’t see anything before I felt the impact.

“I was told it was a body so that is the only reason I am saying that is what I hit.

“I can’t believe this has happened and it is something I never expected to happen when driving a vehicle, especially an unlit dual carriageway at night.”

PC Stephen Wootton, who is based at Hampshire Constabulary’s forensic investigation unit in Eastleigh, said that it was dark at the time of the incident but the weather was fine and the road surface was dry.

He added: “Physical evidence showed the deceased was lying on the nearside, lane two of two, when he was struck by an unknown number of vehicles.

“There is no physical evidence to suggest he had been upright when he was struck.”

Mr Jones was described by his girlfriend, Ruth Stott, who he met in July 2014, as “a kind and caring individual who would do anything for anyone” and she said he “was just lovely”.

She added: “On the day of the incident, I had spoken to him quite a few times through the day and made arrangements to meet him on Saturday.

“I have no idea why he was on the A303 at the time of the incident.”

Recording an accidental death verdict, North East Hampshire coroner Andrew Bradley said he had sympathy with those involved and said no-one would expect to see a body lying on the A303.

He added: “It is all going for him.

“He has a son that he loves and sees regularly, he has formed a relationship which looked positive.

“The only view I can take is that he has tripped or fallen and he is lying in the carriageway in front of oncoming traffic.

“I don’t think he was in a self destructive form of mind that was such that he was intending to die.

“The compelling argument is that of a horrible accident and I don’t know what he was doing in the road but I don’t think he was trying to kill himself.

“Probably the only comfort I can give you is that he didn’t suffer.”