Man 'jumped in and out of traffic' before M3 crash

The incident happened between junction eight and nine on the M3

A pedestrian is in hospital with life-threatening injuries after being hit by a car on a motorway.

The crash happened on the northbound M3 between junctions nine and eight north of Winchester at about 06:30 BST.

Shortly beforehand, a man matching the pedestrian's description was seen "jumping in and out of traffic" and trying to enter a motorist's car, police said.

A 37-year-old man from Southampton has been arrested on suspicion of driving a vehicle while unfit through drugs and remains in police custody.

Police said they were initially called to reports of a man behaving dangerously on the A33, which runs parallel to the motorway.

In one call, a woman reported that a man had jumped in front of her vehicle and tried to open the door, officers said.

About 10 minutes later, a man was seriously injured on the M3.

The motorway was closed for six hours and reopened just after 13:00 BST, National Highways said.

Police have asked anyone with information or dashcam footage to come forward.