Man, 40, lay dead under wreck of car on motorway for a week after crash

Sedji Sejdiu, 40, crashed a Vauxhall Astra into woodland in the middle of the M40 in Oxfordshire.

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Mr Sejdiu, who had taken cocaine prior to the crash, lay under his car until an off duty detective spotted the wreck.

Detective Chief Inspector Aiden Donohoe was driving past the reservation near Banbury at around 5mph in heavy traffic when he spotted the Astra buried in the trees.

DCI Donohoe dialled 999 and when highways officers arrived at the scene they found Mr Sejdiu's body on the grass.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras had picked up the Astra prior to the crash.

This allowed police to pinpoint the time of the crash to around 4.30am on April 5.

Coroner Nicholas Graham said it was probable that "even if the discovery had been made nearer to the time (the crash) occurred it may not have made any difference to the tragic outcome."

Oxford Coroner's Court heard that Mr Sejdiu died of multiple injuries consistent with a road collision.

The inquest into his death also heard he had taken cocaine prior to the accident, which may have impaired his driving ability.

Collision investigator Siobhan O'Connell, of Hampshire Police, said: "It is possible he lost control due to an over-correction of a steering manoeuvre, or from steering to avoid an animal such as a deer.

"Marks on the verge show the car was already in a state of yaw, or out of control, when it left the carriageway."

Miss O'Connell said it was likely the driver's loss of control was due to "impairment due to drugs and/or fatigue."

She said there was no evidence of braking, third party involvement or a vehicle defect. There were also no witnesses to the crash.

Mr Sejdiu's sister, Elvira Lee, told the court that her brother had become depressed when he lost access to his daughter after a relationship ended.

The Astra Mr Sejdiu crashed was a hire car that had been reported as stolen.

Concluding that Mr Sejdiu died in a road traffic collision, Mr Graham said: "It's possible that the taking of cocaine may have had an effect, although that is not obvious. Given the time of day, it may have been that he simply fell asleep."