M27: Lorry driver dies after crash near Southampton
- Published
Tailbacks formed on the westbound carriageway of the M27 following the crash
A lorry driver has died and three people have been arrested after a crash on the M27 near Southampton Airport.
The collision, involving a Mercedes lorry, Nissan Juke and Volkswagen Polo, happened shortly after 12:30 GMT on Wednesday.
Hampshire police said the lorry driver, a man in his 30s, died at the scene.
A westbound stretch of the motorway remains shut while a gantry - damaged when the lorry later caught fire - is replaced.
Work has started on replacing the gantry
Motorway traffic was at a standstill following the crash on Wednesday afternoon
The force said the lorry caught fire "several hours" after the crash and a gantry was damaged.
National Highways said inspections found the 9m (30ft) high structure spanning several lanes would need to be replaced.
Operations manager Mark Hallett said: "This is a complex situation and removing the damaged gantry will take a number of hours. This is a structure that is 9m tall and spans multiple lanes of traffic.
"The safety of those travelling on our network is our number one priority and keeping the entire carriageway closed is the safest way for us to remove the gantry.
The motorway's westbound carriageway was shut between Fareham at junction nine and junction five following the crash
Work to remove the gantry began at midday. It is not clear how long the motorway will remain closed for.
The closure in is place between Fareham at junction nine and junction five. Traffic is being diverted at junction nine to the A27.
Two men, aged 32 and 37 and a woman, 40, have been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
Police said the trio, all of of no fixed abode, remain in hospital, while a woman in the Nissan suffered minor injuries.
Officers asked anyone who witnessed the crash or those with dashcam footage to get in touch.
Follow BBC South on Facebook, external, X, external, or Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2240.