A POLICE investigation continued today into why a pensioner plunged to her death from a bridge over a Hampshire motorway.

The M27 was shut for hours after the woman, believed to be 74 and from Southampton, fell into 70mph traffic and hit two vehicles on Thursday night.

She was declared dead at the scene and her next of kin have been informed but formal identification and a post mortem examination are yet to take place.

The westbound carriageway of the M27 was closed for a number of hours at junction three Nursling following the fatal incident, which happened at about 6pm.

South Central Ambulance Service medics rushed to the scene in two ambulances and a rapid response vehicle and had to take nine people Southampton General Hospital for treatment for shock.

It is thought they had all been travelling along the motorway at the time of the tragic fall.

Matt Wellings, 21, was travelling from Milton Keynes to Bournemouth when he became stuck in gridlocked traffic for more than an hour.

He said: "It has just been constant stream of emergency services that have gone past.

"There are about seven or eight cars involved – it looks like there has been an accident as well as something else happening.

"There are about three or four cars in the middle lane stationary and another two or three on the hard shoulder.

"There are loads of undercover police cars and highways agencies have just turned up."

The road was initially closed at junction five Southampton Airport but this section was reopened earlier and the motorway reopened at around 1am the next day.

Hampshire Police are continuing to investigate the incident and are asking anyone with information to contact them on 101 and ask for the Western Roads Policing Unit, quoting Operation Wand.