A three-year-old girl died after a man “deliberately” drove into oncoming traffic while on the M6 in Lancashire, an inquest has heard.

Faye Dawson, from Wallasey on the Wirral, was killed on the evening of Saturday, November 19, 2022, after a car crashed into the car she was travelling in on the southbound carriageway of the M6 near Leyland. 

An inquest hearing, held on Tuesday, December 3, at Preston Coroner's Court heard how Faye had been on a family trip to the Blackpool Illuminations with her mum Beth Dawson and Beth’s partner Karl.

The family had spent around four hours in Blackpool before deciding to make their way home to Wallasey.

While travelling home, 79-year-old Terence Unsworth, who was driving a Porsche Boxster, entered the motorway slip road on the M6.

Witnesses described, and dashcam footage showed, how Unsworth joined the M6 at Junction 28 before he slowed down and indicated right.

He then turned right heading the wrong way down the motorway before crossing lanes one and two and continuing directly into lane three travelling into oncoming traffic.

Two cars driving in front of Ms Dawson’s Vauxhall Meriva saw Unsworth's car and managed to move out of the way into lane two, but Ms Dawson did not have enough time to get out of the way before the Porsche Boxster crashed head-on into her car and burst into flames.

Faye, who was sat in the rear passenger seat, was taken to Royal Preston Hospital and pronounced dead.

Unsworth, from Preston, also died at the scene. 

A statement read out in court on behalf of Ms Dawson said: “On November 19 I was involved in a road traffic accident along the M6 between Junction 28 and 29 when a vehicle came down the motorway.

“On the day of the accident, we had been in Blackpool for four hours. I had put Faye in her booster seat and seatbelt.

"I always strapped her in properly and I specifically purchased this booster seat for Faye.

“I would not have taken any action to put her at risk and I always put her in the rear passenger so I could check she was ok.

“I recall seeing two cars moving over to the second lane and I tried to but there was no time. I blacked out.”

A post-mortem, carried out by Home Office pathologist Dr Alison Armour, found the cause of death was “multiple injuries”.

Accident reconstruction and seatbelt specialist, Steven Parkin, said: “In my view, the guidance on child seats is poor and confusing.

"Manufacturers focus on the weight of the child whereas government guidance focuses on the height.

“In my experience, it is common for children in adult seatbelts to move around.

"Faye’s seatbelt was in place around her waist but at the time of the accident, the chest section was behind Faye.

“It appears likely that after Faye was strapped in she had moved out of her seatbelt unintentionally or intentionally.”

PC Rachel Carberry, of Lancashire Constabulary's collision investigation unit, confirmed there were “no containments” on the road on the evening of the accident and said the weather was “dry”.

She also explained the roads would have been dark due to the time of the accident.

She said: “There was evidence Unsworth had turned the wrong way on the motorway at junction 28 down the slip road and at that point he turned around.

“Witnesses who avoided him and also dashcam footage showed him travelling south and two cars in front of Ms Dawson.

“Ms Dawson did not have the opportunity to move out of the way because it is not an event anyone would expect.

“From an examination of Faye’s seatbelt, the waist part was in place but the diagonal part was behind Faye.”

Giving the conclusion Faye died as the result of a road traffic accident, Assistant Coroner Richard Taylor said: “You have all my sincere condolences for your loss I cannot imagine what you have had to go through.

“I fully accept Ms Dawson’s point of view and perspective. She would never ever have any intention to put her daughter in danger.

“The lap belt was only in place at the time of the collision it is more likely that Faye moved out her belt intentionally or unintentionally.

“I am ruling the simple conclusion of a road traffic collision. Faye died on the night of November 19, 2022, at Royal Preston Hospital from injuries sustained while she was a rear seat passenger during a collision.”