What we know so far after fatal crash on M27 eastbound
The eastbound side of the motorway was closed for several hours as emergency services dealt with the incident on Saturday.
A man in his 40s was pronounced dead at the scene after being hit by a car.
What happened?
CCTV image of traffic on the M27 on Saturday (Image: Romanse)
Emergency services were called just before 4pm on Saturday, June 3 following reports of a crash between a pedestrian and a black BMW.
The man, a pedestrian in his 40s and of no fixed abode, died at the scene.
The crash happened at junction five for Eastleigh[2] on the eastbound side.
Traffic was at a standstill for several hours as the incident was dealt with.
The eastbound side was closed for the majority of the evening, whilst the closed lanes on the westbound side later reopened.
‘A bad situation’
Steve Shepherd, a Totton and Eling town councillor was among those stuck in traffic[3] on Saturday.
The 71-year-old was travelling to Thornhill from Totton when the crash occurred.
A crash which he was only 150 yards behind.
Steve said: “Whilst I was stuck in traffic, I didn’t know what had happened.
“We came to a complete stop because it was quite a bad situation. We were there for about two and a half hours.
“About 10 minutes after we stopped, we heard sirens and all the emergency vehicles started to move through traffic.
“There must have been about 10 vehicles with blue flashing lights.”
Police officers on the scene of the crash (Image: Alison Cook)
After two hours, Steve said police officers started directing vehicles back the way they came.
He said: “We were sent back down the motorway the wrong way to the Eastleigh[4] junction.
“Not having the hard shoulder didn’t make a lot of difference as there is a bit of road there that was used.
“We could turn around and cars were able to separate to let the emergency services through.”
He added: “In these situations, you go from being frustrated to being stuck in traffic, then concerned for the people involved, then to being patient.
“Most people were really good and a lot of us got out of our cars to chat to each other.
“When you stop and talk to people, they become human beings again, and not just drivers in a metal box.”
What police say
Officers are now appealing for witnesses following the crash.
Inspector Mark Foster of the Roads Policing Unit said: “As part of our response to this incident we had to close the M27 for several hours, and I would like to thank you for your patience as we dealt with this collision.
“As part of our enquiries we would like to hear from anyone travelling on the road at the time who saw either the vehicle or the pedestrian in the moments before the collision.
"Did you see a pedestrian on the M27 at junction five yesterday? Perhaps you have dash-cam footage that would help our investigation?
“If you have any information we would love to hear from you. Please contact us on 101 with reference 44230219826.”
References
- ^ Man dies after being hit by car on M27 (www.dailyecho.co.uk)
- ^ Eastleigh (www.dailyecho.co.uk)
- ^ stuck in traffic (www.dailyecho.co.uk)
- ^ Eastleigh (www.dailyecho.co.uk)
- ^ Man's body found in Southampton park (www.dailyecho.co.uk)