A DRIVER who left his car on the M3 after a crash was killed when a third vehicle smashed into him.
The double crash brought travel chaos to the busy motorway for four hours as emergency services investigated what happened.
The 37-year-old victim had been hit by a Skoda so he left his Mitsubishi ASX 4.
He was then struck by a Citroen Berlingo and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The horror crash happened early this morning on the motorway near Winchester, Hants.
A spokesman for Hampshire Police said that officers were appealing for any witnesses to the collisions to contact them urgently.
He added: "Officers were called at 6.39am today (Mon) to reports of a collision involving three vehicles between junctions 8 and 9 on the southbound carriageway.
"Initial investigations indicate that there was a collision involving a Mitsubishi ASX 4 and a Skoda Superb, which resulted in the driver of the Mitsubishi getting out of his vehicle.
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"The 37-year-old man, from Southampton, was then struck by a third vehicle, a Citroen Berlingo.
"Sadly, he was pronounced dead at the scene. The drivers of the two other vehicles were uninjured.
"As a result of the collision, the stretch of motorway was closed to allow for officers to conduct their investigations into the exact circumstances of the incident. The road was reopened just before midday."
Roads Policing Sergeant Barry Long, from the Joint Operations Unit, added: "We know that closing such a major route for several hours causes huge inconvenience for motorists but we would like to thank all those caught up in the backlog for their patience and understanding that we will always do our best to reopen roads as quickly as possible.
"We have already spoken to many motorists who witnessed what happened this morning but if there are any other witnesses who have yet to speak us, please get in touch.
"We would also like to speak to anyone who saw any of the vehicles prior to the collision."
A post mortem examination is to be carried out on the body of the 37-year-old man to establish the exact cause of his death and an inquest will be opened and adjourned later in the week.
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