A woman in her 60s was killed and two other people were seriously injured in a crash on the M4 on Monday morning, Thames Valley Police has confirmed.
A black Nissan car and a white van collided as they headed west on the motorway between Reading and Theale, the force said in a statement.
The victim died at the scene, while those who were injured in the accident are currently receiving treatment in hospital.
As a result of the crash, the motorway was closed in both directions. The east-bound lanes reopened later on Monday, but the western carriageway remains shut and is likely to remain so for the rest of the day.
Detective Constable Mark Dunne of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit has appealed to potential witnesses to get in touch with information about the collision. He also asked drivers to check their dash-cam footage.
“I am appealing to anybody who was driving on the M4 this morning at around the time of the collision to please contact 101, quoting incident reference 320 (7/3) if you witnessed what happened,” he said.
DC Dunne said the deceased’s kin have been informed about her death and are being supported by specially trained officers. He added that the Thames Valley Police’s thoughts were “with them at this extremely difficult time”.
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue service said its crews had responded to the accident on Monday morning.
“Our thoughts and condolences are with the family and loved ones of the deceased,” it added.