'Waiting for a lorry, love you so much': Northampton man's last text to wife before ending life on major road

A man committed suicide on a Northampton road by walking onto an unlit stretch and lying down in the path of an oncoming vehicle.
The inquest was held at Northampton's County Hall.The inquest was held at Northampton's County Hall.
The inquest was held at Northampton's County Hall.

Martin Bridgman, 48, from Northampton, died on the A45 Nene Valley Way dual carriageway westbound between Great Billing Way and the Lumbertubs Way interchange on February 7 at around 9.30pm.

At his inquest at Northampton County Hall yesterday (June 28), the coroner heard how Mr Bridgman was known to have mental health issues and drinking problems.

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His wife Helen, in a statement read out by the coroner, said: "Nothing seemed unusual on the day Martin died. In the evening, he texted me to say he was with a friend having a 'tinny' and putting the world to rights.

"When he came in, he was drunk. He could be a completely different person when he had been drinking and an argument started over dinner. Our daughter left to go stay at her boyfriend's and I managed to keep Martin's car keys from him before he went out too.

"I got a text from him later. It said, 'waiting for a lorry, love you so much'."

A motorist, who gave evidence at the inquest, said he was driving on an unlit stretch of the A45 Nene Valley Way at around 9.30pm when he thought he saw "a pile of rags" in the road a second before he went over them. He then realised he had hit a person.

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The body in the road had been Mr Bridgman, who was hit by a second vehicle before the emergency services were called.

Mrs Bridgman said: "For a time, Martin had been a successful man at work and had been a very popular person, but sadly after some troublesome years he had developed mental health issues. He will be sadly missed."

HM Coroner Anne Pember said she would also be writing to the Highways department after concerns were raised that a set of streetlights on the A45 where Mr Bridgman died should have been replaced.

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