A pregnant nurse called her boyfriend to tell him her death would be on his conscience, shortly before she took painkillers and jumped in front of a lorry.

Clair McClaughlin's body was flung on to a grassy area after she was hit by a lorry on the A420, Great Coxwell, near Faringdon, on September 29.

The 22-year-old, of Olive Grove, Swindon, had bought painkillers at a Tesco store before driving along the A420, towards Swindon and parking on the hard shoulder.

At an inquest into her death, held at Oxford Coroner's Court yesterday, several witnesses said they had spotted Miss McLaughlin's Ford Fiesta parked on the road at about 5pm that night.

Later, lorry driver David Benton, of Crosby Walk, Swindon, stopped to see if someone needed help but found no-one inside the car. When he pulled away he thought he struck someone. He called the police. Emergency services arrived, but Miss McClaughlin was declared dead at the scene.

Pc Richard Cow said his investigation had revealed the dead woman had called her boyfriend, David Cooper, of Beaconsfield and left a message, including the words: "I am going to kill myself because of you. This will be on your conscience forever."

Coroner Nicholas Gardiner recorded a verdict that she took her own life.