Woman dies in crash on M23 near Gatwick Airport

A 23-year-old woman has died in a car crash after a vehicle hit the central reservation of a motorway and then hit a tree.

The crash happened just before 05:00 BST on the northbound carriageway of the M23 in West Sussex, forcing the closure of carriageway between junction 10 for Crawley and junction nine for Gatwick Airport for several hours.

A 23-year-old man who was also a passenger in the car is being treated in hospital for serious injuries.

The driver, a 21-year-old man, has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving and remains in custody. All three are from London.

The northbound carriageway has since reopened following the completion of crash investigations, according to National Highways.

Emergency services including Sussex Police attended the scene.

Insp Matt Wightwick said: "This is a tragic incident and we are actively investigating the full circumstances of what happened."

Anyone who witnessed the crash or who has relevant dashcam footage is urged to contact Sussex Police.

A number of people heading off for their Easter getaway have taken to social media to describe being caught up in the tailbacks.

Some posted the delays had led to them missing their scheduled flights, while others said they had been trapped in their cars without food or water for hours.

A taxi driver said an early morning pick-up from Brighton to Gatwick took him five hours instead of the usual 45 minutes.

His passenger, he said, had missed his flight.

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