Driver says she's lucky to have walked away from horror M27 crash

The woman, who asked not to be named, suffered minor injuries when she was involved in the crash on the M27 yesterday morning.

But she said the car she was travelling in was ‘a write-off’ after it was ploughed into from behind.

Happening at the height of rush-hour, just after 8.20am, the collision shut the M27 westbound near junction 10 in Fareham for an hour.

It is believed to have started after a flatbed truck lost its load, spreading debris on the highway.

The witness said she, and several other drivers behind her, slowed down as they approached the scene, before another motorist slammed into the rear of the vehicles.

One of the cars flipped on to its roof. Miraculously, nobody was seriously hurt, with police saying two people were treated for minor injuries.

Speaking to The News after the crash, the survivor said: ‘We were incredibly lucky.

‘The scene was one of devastation. Two cars were written-off.

‘But all three people involved in the collision were able to walk away relatively unscathed, with minor injuries. Maybe a bit anxious and shaken up with some nightmarish admin but they were unhurt.’

The four vehicles involved were a Citroen C1, a Ford Transit, a Nissan Juke and a Skoda Octavia, police said.

It took about two hours to clear the road of debris and re-open it. Emergency services, including three fire crews from across Cosham and Fareham, were alerted to the incident at 8.24am.

The driver involved in the pile-up praised their reaction, adding: ‘I was in shock.

‘To put this in perspective, the emergency services were on the scene straight away, They were amazing.’

Police also attended the scene and took action against the driver of the flatbed truck. A spokeswoman said: ‘A 45-year-old man from Southampton has been reported for summons for the offence of driving with an insecure / dangerous load.’

Calls for improved road safety measures have since been made.

The woman who walked away from the crash said: ‘Too many people drive too quickly down that road, tailgating.

‘It’s about time that we did something about it in this county. It’s time that we start being tested more regularly after we get our licence.

‘This accident could have been so much worse.’

Earlier that morning, a crash on the M3, near Winchester, caused tailbacks and delays on the M27 near Eastleigh, affecting commuters from the Portsmouth area.