A WOMAN killed on a Hampshire motorway may have been struck by a passing car after she had stepped out of the car she was travelling in.

Witnesses to the fatal smash on the M3's northbound carriageway report seeing the woman standing in the road before she was hit by a vehicle, throwing her into the air.

It is understood that she had got out of the car she was a passenger in, after a minor shunt with another vehicle, between junctions nine and ten, near Winchester.

Officers from the Roads Policing Unit investigating the tragic crash confirmed that the information formed one of the lines of enquiry to establish the circumstances surrounding the death.

They added that they are still trying to track down the driver of the fourth vehicle involved in the crash - two days after the motorists failed to stop at the scene.

The woman is expected to be identified on Friday, once formal identification has been made and all next of kin have been informed.

As reported, the collision happened during rush hour traffic on Monday evening, involving four vehicles.

Emergency services rushed to the scene and battled to save the life of the woman, but despite their best efforts, she was pronounced dead at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital.

A male passenger was also hurt and taken to the same hospital but the three drivers who remained at the scene all escaped injury.

The motorway was closed for more than seven hours as police began their investigations into what happened.

This sparked long delays for thousands of commuters making their way home from work, with many stuck in long tail backs for up to an hour as the route was sealed off between junctions 11 and nine.

Anyone with information about the crash should call 101 quoting Operation Hemisphere.