A 40-year-old woman has died after being hit by a lorry on the M27.

Officers were called to reports of a collision involving a pedestrian and a lorry on the M27 in the early hours of Friday morning.

According to police, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene at around 4.20am.

The westbound carriageway was closed between J3 near Nursling and J2 near Ower for most of the day.

Traffic officers were on the scene managing traffic, while motorists were urged to allow extra time when travelling with diversions in place northbound towards Romsey.

The woman’s next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.

The lorry driver was uninjured.

Investigations into the exact circumstances of the collision are ongoing at this time, however, the M27 has since been fully reopened.

Officers are now appealing for witnesses following the fatal collision.

A police spokesperson said: “We are keen to speak to any motorists who were driving along this stretch of the M27 at around the time of the incident and may have seen anything or has dashcam footage.”

“We were called at around 4.20am this morning (Friday 10 April) to a report of a collision between a pedestrian and vehicle on the M27. The incident happened between J3 and J2 on the westbound carriageway, as a result, we have had to close this part of the westbound carriageway for us to be able to deal with the incident.

Enquiries are ongoing.

Anyone who witnessed this incident is urged to call police on 101 and quote crime reference number 44200127453.

In light of the coronavirus crisis, police have been telling people to drive with extra caution to reduce pressures on the NHS.

One social media post says: “With the weather looking good for the extended Easter weekend, please don’t be tempted to travel unnecessarily. Remember, essential travel only & drive responsibly if you do go out in a vehicle.”