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| Motorway open after major crash | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| One man has died and seven people were taken to hospital after a crash which closed the M8 motorway in West Lothian in both directions. | One man has died and seven people were taken to hospital after a crash which closed the M8 motorway in West Lothian in both directions. |
| The motorway reopened eastbound between junctions 3 and 3a, near Livingston, at about 1300 BST almost seven hours after the pile-up involving eight vehicles. | |
| The westbound carraigeway was expected to open soon. | |
| The crash was first reported when a van was spotted on the hard shoulder with smoke coming out of it. | The crash was first reported when a van was spotted on the hard shoulder with smoke coming out of it. |
| At the scene of the crash, a badly damaged Vauxhall car was blocking the westbound carriageway while a Ford Fiesta van could been seen on the opposite side of the road. | At the scene of the crash, a badly damaged Vauxhall car was blocking the westbound carriageway while a Ford Fiesta van could been seen on the opposite side of the road. |
| Wrong way | Wrong way |
| Several other cars were scattered on the carriageway as police accident investigators carried out their work. | Several other cars were scattered on the carriageway as police accident investigators carried out their work. |
| The crash happened at about 0610 GMT. | |
| Police started to escort vehicles out of the westbound queue at about 1030 GMT. | Police started to escort vehicles out of the westbound queue at about 1030 GMT. |
| Cars were allowed to turn around and drive the wrong way down the carriageway to get clear of the scene. | Cars were allowed to turn around and drive the wrong way down the carriageway to get clear of the scene. |
| The ambulance service said one person had died and two others had serious or traumatic injuries. | The ambulance service said one person had died and two others had serious or traumatic injuries. |
| They described four other people as walking wounded and one was "in shock". | They described four other people as walking wounded and one was "in shock". |
| Casualties were taken to St John's hospital in Livingston and the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh. | Casualties were taken to St John's hospital in Livingston and the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh. |
| Police want to hear from anyone who hit the crash debris | Police want to hear from anyone who hit the crash debris |
| Roads around the Livingston area were also subject to lengthy delays as vehicles were diverted away from the motorway. | Roads around the Livingston area were also subject to lengthy delays as vehicles were diverted away from the motorway. |
| At about 1000 GMT, one driver, who had not moved an inch for about three hours, said: "It has been an absolute nightmare. I have not even had my engine switched on since about 7am. | At about 1000 GMT, one driver, who had not moved an inch for about three hours, said: "It has been an absolute nightmare. I have not even had my engine switched on since about 7am. |
| "It is so frustrating, because if I had been a bit earlier I would have missed it completely and if I was a bit later I would have been able to take a different route. | "It is so frustrating, because if I had been a bit earlier I would have missed it completely and if I was a bit later I would have been able to take a different route. |
| "But it is just bad luck that I hit it when I did and there is nowhere for me to go." | "But it is just bad luck that I hit it when I did and there is nowhere for me to go." |
| Police at the scene put out an appeal for anyone who may have hit any of the debris from the crash to contact them on 0131 311 3418. | Police at the scene put out an appeal for anyone who may have hit any of the debris from the crash to contact them on 0131 311 3418. |
| They also want to hear from the drivers of any vehicles which were involved in the accident but who then carried on with their journey. | They also want to hear from the drivers of any vehicles which were involved in the accident but who then carried on with their journey. |