DEPRESSED Jonathan Knight died in a motorway accident just days before taking up a new job, an inquest heard.

The 32-year-old, of Dukes Wood Avenue, Gerrards Cross, was killed when his car overturned on the M40 between the Wheatley and Wendlebury junctions at around 5am on March 28.

The car was discovered by a lorry driver who spotted his blue Volvo lying on its roof in a field.

Police who were called to the scene found four empty cans of lager and a wine bottle in the vehicle.

Muriel Knight, Jonathan's mother, told the Oxford inquest that her son had a job as a taxi driver but wanted a change. He was due to start a new job as a courier two days after his death.

Jonathan, who was divorced, had been living with his mother since he returned after five years in the USA.

Muriel told the inquest: "He had been extremely down and depressed but I finally persuaded him to make an appointment with the doctors.

"The day before the accident, he went to make the appointment but it was obviously too late to save him."

On the night before the accident, Muriel said that they were together in the house until Jonathan left at 12.30am.

She said: "I lay awake all night after hearing him leave. He took a bottle of wine with him.

"He had done this once or twice before and come back late. I was very worried about him. When he didn't return, I expected the worst.

"I stayed awake all night and when the police came to my house at 8.40 in the morning, I knew that it was something bad."

PC Susanne Burns, of Bicester Traffic, found an empty bottle of red wine in the glove compartment and four empty lager cans in the car.

Dr David Davies, a consultant pathologist at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, told the inquest that Jonathan died of multiple injuries and had 64mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood.

Dr Davies said: "The level of alcohol was below the legal limit of 80mg but was still significantly high."

Oxfordshire coroner Nicholas Gardiner recorded an open verdict, saying he could not be sure whether Jonathan had deliberately caused his death or whether it was an accident through drink or lack of sleep.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.