The wife of a delivery driver who died after his van veered over the central line on the A590 and collided with a lorry said "life won’t be the same without him."

An inquest heard how Khawaja Mohammed Ali died while negotiating a left turn on the road near Greenodd on May 23 last year.

The 33-year-old, known as Ali, was airlifted to Royal Preston Hospital but died from his injuries two days later.

Cockermouth Coroner’s Court heard that, travelling westbound, he veered over the white line on the single-carriageway road and collided with a truck driven by John Grifferty.

The inquest heard that when the collision happened, the delivery driver had been on the phone hands-free to a DPD colleague who was also travelling to Barrow.

A statement from the other driver read in court said he was unable to move out of the way.

“He came over the white line in the middle of the road,” Mr Grifferty said.

“The time from when I saw the vehicle to when we collided was a second or two.

“It felt instantaneous.

“The noise from the collision was horrendous.”

Mr Grifferty added that he called the hospital to check the other driver’s condition but staff were not allowed to pass on the information. He was saddened to read in a newspaper that Mr Ali had passed away.

Mr Ali’s Mercedes Sprinter van ended up in a ditch by the side of the road. Police said he was not wearing a seatbelt.

One of nine children, he was born in the Punjab region of Pakistan and first moved to the UK in 2003 with his wife, the hearing was told.

The father later remarried and returned to Pakistan, before coming back to the UK in 2014 with his new wife.

Paying tribute in a statement read in the hearing, wife Naila Ali said: “He was a very compassionate and kind-hearted husband who loved his family.

“He was always smiling, happy and always wore a cheeky smile.

“He would always be the life and soul of the party.

“I miss him every day. Life isn’t the same without him.”

The inquest heard that Ali had joined DPD as a delivery driver in late 2018.

Coroner Craig Smith ruled the death was caused by a road traffic collision and that Mr Ali died from multiple organ failure.

Mr Smith said it was "likely" that Mr Ali was distracted to some extent by being on the phone.

“One thing that is clear is Ali was a happy person who was very much committed to his family,” he said.

“He was clearly a loving husband and father.

“I have no doubt his death will leave a huge hole in the lives of his family.”

Mr Ali was from Preston.