Coach fall death was 'accident'

The coach was travelling from Aberdeen to London

A coroner has recorded a verdict of accidental death on a woman who fell out of a coach travelling at 60mph in Cumbria while trying to get off to smoke a cigarette.

Sandra Ferguson, 43, from Paisley near Glasgow, fell onto the M6 between Shap and Penrith on 17 June 2003.

The inquest heard she became agitated when she was not allowed to get off the coach when it stopped in Carlisle.

At 0104 GMT, she was seen next to a door before falling out of the coach.

Increasingly anxious

The National Express coach was travelling from Aberdeen to London, at around 60mph when the incident happened.

The inquest heard how Mrs Ferguson had wanted to get off to smoke a cigarette in Carlisle.

Her fellow passengers said she became increasingly anxious as the journey continued and she shouted that she wanted to get off.

Mrs Ferguson was seen with her hands against the passenger door in the middle of the lower deck, before she fell out.

She died at the scene.