A PEDESTRIAN was struck and killed by two vehicles on the A64 near York after walking onto the dual carriageway while under the influence of drink and drugs, an inquest was told.

Tests showed that Joe Beaumont  - a hard-working, caring, popular and much loved son, brother and friend - had two and a half times the drink drive limit of alcohol in his blood when he died on the westbound carriageway near the A1237 junction at Copmanthorpe, said Coroner Catherine Cundy.

The drugs ketamine, cocaine, cannabis and mephedrone -known as meow-meow - were also found in the 23-year-old's blood.

The Coroner said a combination of these substances, along with extreme tiredness, could have led to Joe's vision, coordination, spatial awareness and judgement becoming impaired.

The inquest was told that Joe, of Meltham, West Yorkshire, had been staying with friends at a farm at Askham Bryan College on the evening of Saturday February 27, 2021, and had drunk cider and lager, and taken two lines of cocaine, when they noticed he wasn't there.

They found he had left the property at about 10pm and begun wandering around fields in the area.

His friends, who described him as a 'sensible and happy person,' said they began searching for him, walking through fields and climbing over fences.

His friend Georgia Hampshire said she spoke to him repeatedly on his phone, including video calls, but he did not seem concerned he was lost and did not say where he was.

The inquest was told that Joe was struck at about 12.50 am on February 28 by a taxi driven by Asim Iltaf, who was driving back to Leeds after dropping a passenger off in York.

He told police in a statement that he had just passed under a bridge and saw no one in his path when there was a bang and his windscreen smashed, and he wondered if someone had come off the bridge.

He said he was driving at 60mph and was not using his mobile phone at the time or distracted in any other way.

Analysis showed Joe was struck while standing upright in the middle of the road and had not come off the bridge, as Mr Iltaf had suspected.

The collision caused severe head injuries that would have led swiftly to his death.

His body was then run over by a van driven by Jonathan Sutcliffe, who was returning home after being involved in some work on the A64 at Rillington.

Mr Sutcliffe said saw someone lying in the road in front of him and couldn't avoid it, and was 'really shocked' at what had happened.

The Coroner, concluding that Joe died in a road traffic collision, said neither driver could have avoided him, and said there was no evidence he intended to take his own life.