AN elderly man died after a car he was travelling in hit a crash barrier at a busy Hampshire motorway junction today.

His car, a Ford Galaxy people carrier, is understood to have left the westbound carriageway and hit the crash barrier on the hard shoulder. No other vehicle was involved.

The inside lane and the exit slip road at junction eight is closed while police accident investigators carried out a thorough inquiry into the circumstances of the accident. The name of the dead man has not been released.

Although two lanes remain open long traffic tailbacks are expected as the wreckage is cleared.

Police area appealing for any witnesses who might have seen a blue car leave the westbound carriageway and come to rest on the crash barrier at about 10.20am today.

They should contact Sergeant Rob Heard at the Totton roads policing unit by ringing 0845 045 4545.