Teenager speaks of '˜shocking' moment he saw woman fall to her death from M27 bridge

Thomas Wall, 19, was driving to work yesterday morning when he spotted the woman pacing up and down on the bridge near Bursledon.

Sensing that something was wrong, he tried to get her attention and honked his horn but watched in horror as she climbed over railings and fell on to the motorway.

Thomas, who works for building materials supplier Jewson near Hightown, said: ‘It was a regular morning and I was taking my normal route to work. I saw a woman who was clearly in distress and was pacing.

‘As I approached she started to climb over the railings, and I knew something was wrong so I honked my horn and got out the car.’

But despite his efforts to stop her Thomas said the woman, described as blonde and middle-aged, fell from the bridge.

He said: ‘I thought she was just thinking at first, but when she climbed over I knew something bad was going to happen.’

After giving a statement to police Thomas, from Hedge End, was given the day off work.

He said: ‘I called 999 and then my rang my boss to tell him I would be late. He said not to come in and that he would come and see me later.’

‘I still feel pretty terrible. Yesterday was pretty shocking but now it’s more sadness.

‘I was shaken up by what happened, it was pretty distressing.’

Police and ambulance crews were called to the scene of the incident at about 7.40am yesterday.

A Hampshire Constabulary spokeswoman said the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

No-one else was injured, and the woman’s next of kin have been informed and are being supported by officers.

The spokeswoman added that the death was not being treated as suspicious, and a file is being prepared for the coroner.

All three lanes were closed after the incident while police carried out an investigation.