A partially blind woman died when hit by a van while hitchhiking home from hospital, an inquest has heard.

Margarita Korolkevic, 49, discharged herself from Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital on the evening of November 17 last year, but could not afford a taxi back to her home in Wisbech.

Through various CCTV videos, Ms Korolkevic was seen walking home, waving her arms out to oncoming traffic in the hope of getting a lift.

She made her way to the A47 westbound slip road at the Saddlebow roundabout, but was hit by a van when attempting to cross the road.

Emergency services were called, and Ms Korolkevic was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police ran an appeal to identify her at the time, and it took several days for them to piece the information they received together.

Her sister, Ana Podberiozkina, told the inquest that Ms Korolkevic was a victim of domestic abuse and she was “failed by services who should have protected her”.

At the hearing today at Norfolk Coroner’s Court in Norwich, area coroner Christopher Leech determined she died as a result of her injuries in the collision.

Ms Podberiozkina, who lives in Lithuania, said that she is the only close family relative her sister had.

“We had a strong emotional connection. She was kind, gentle and supportive. She was not just my sister, she was my closest friend,” the statement from Ms Podberiozkina said.

Ms Korolkevic had trouble with her vision, but when offered to get help for this in Lithuania, she refused.

“She believed the UK health system would help her, but they did not,” Ms Podberiozkina added.

“My family has lost an irreplaceable person. Systems put in place did not protect her.”

Before her death, Ms Korolkevic had been found by police officers after she collapsed in a cemetery in Wisbech, and she was taken to the QEH for treatment.

Officers then left Ms Korolkevic, who had issues with her peripheral vision and required help when crossing the road, in the A&E department.

Later, Ms Korolkevic, who had been drinking on the afternoon of her death, discharged herself from the hospital after having some food and drink.

Discharge notes from the QEH said that Ms Korolkevic was “calm” and “following commands”.

She asked staff at the reception to book her a taxi. However, when it arrived, she could not afford it.

Ms Korolkevic then walked into Lynn town centre, where she was seen on CCTV at the bus station.

Shortly afterwards, she was seen walking along Nar Ouse Way in South Lynn, making her way towards the busy A47.

She was struck by a delivery driver, who said he travels on the stretch of road “almost every day”.

A statement read out from the driver who collided with Ms Korolkevic said: “Suddenly, someone was running across the road in front of me.

“It did not make any sense. I did not know what I could do. I broke very hard and they hit the windscreen.”

The inquest heard that tests were carried out on the van driver, who had been travelling along the road at 64mph and had not been drink or drug-driving.

Police on duty at the time described him as “distressed”, and he struggled to put into words what had happened.

Ms Korolkevic was seen moments before she was hit, waving at oncoming traffic.

Another driver saw this and went to turn around to assist Ms Korolkevic, but it was too late.

“I saw the body on the road and two vehicles were stopped next to her,” the driver said in a statement.

The inquest heard that Ms Korolkevic had been a victim of domestic abuse and had received help from various organisations following hospital visits.

Mr Leech concluded this did not play a part in her death.

“Domestic violence and abuse are intolerable,” he said.

“The evidence I heard of domestic violence and abuse towards Margarita, I have no doubt, would have caused fear and distress to her, particularly regarding the threats and intimidation that she was the victim of.”

At times, Ms Korolkevic was “too scared to go home” to her abusive partner and developed a dependence on alcohol to cope. She had received help from the charity Change, Grow, Live (CGL).

A toxicology report revealed that she had alcohol around double the drink-drive limit in her system when she died.

Mr Leech concluded that Ms Korolkevic’s cause of death was from multiple injuries caused by a road traffic collision. He offered his condolences to her family and friends.

A spokesperson for the QEH subsequently told the Lynn News: “Margarita Korolkevic was brought to the emergency department by police and immediately voiced her desire to leave.

“She was assessed as coherent, with no medical needs or reason to be admitted to the emergency department or hospital as a patient.

“The emergency department reception team called a taxi for her, and she left the department.”