A man killed himself after struggling to cope with witnessing a suicidal person being hit by the train he was driving, an inquest has heard.

Police found the body of Scott Walker after they broke into his home in Hedon, east Yorkshire, on 2 November last year.

Hull coroner’s court was told the 43-year-old Arriva Trains Northern worker had begun drinking heavily after the train he was driving hit a person. Walker’s trauma led to the breakup of his relationship, the inquest heard.

His ex-partner told the hearing: “After the train accident, which was confirmed as a suicide in January 2018, it really affected Scott. He was never the same after that. He would drink heavily and have a temper. He would usually send me abusive messages.

“It was on 1 October, a month before Scott’s death, that I decided to move out of the family home with our two children.”

Walker’s GP said that during an appointment in July 2018 Walker described being “of low mood” but said he had no intention of killing himself. Walker was subsequently given medication for anxiety and depression.

He had needed several weeks off after the incident but had returned to work after being paired up with another driver, and he was being supported by London North Eastern Railway (LNER), the inquest was told.

Dr Laszlo Karsai, a consultant histopathologist at Hull Royal Infirmary, told the inquest that the medical cause of death was drug poisoning. Walker was found holding a note, police told the hearing.

PC Steven Wood, of Humberside police, said there was no evidence of third-party involvement or suspicious circumstances surrounding Walker’s death.

The coroner, Rosemary Baxter, said: “He had anxiety and depression since the train accident and recently had split from his partner. I find his many personal problems overcame him at the end and he wanted to take his life by his own hand.”

Baxter recorded a verdict of suicide.