10:03am Saturday 5th July 2008
By Jeremy Grimaldi
A WOMAN is fighting for her life after falling off a bridge on to the M4.
The woman, believed to be in her 60s, fell on to the hard shoulder of the eastbound carriageway of the motorway just after 8.45am yesterday after being spotted on the Wroughton overbridge.
The A4361 Croft Road and one lane of the M4 were closed for two hours as emergency services arrived at the scene, causing long tailbacks.
Rush hour traffic was brought to a standstill as the woman was taken to the Great Western Hospital with serious internal and head injuries.
She also suffered severe injuries to her ankles.
Police officers spent more than an hour investigating the scene looking for clues.
Forensic photographers also took pictures of both the bridge and the side of the M4 where the woman's navy blue pullover lay by the side of the carriageway.
Police said witnesses to the fall were severely traumatised by the incident.
PC Steve Love, of the Northern Roads Policing Unit, said officers had received a number of eye witness accounts to the woman's fall, but they also were keen to hear from anyone else who may have seen the woman in the area of Croft Road just before the incident.
He said: "She was not struck by other vehicles on the hard shoulder.
"She has severe injuries to her ankle and head and has been taken to the Great Western Hospital."
The latest incident comes little more than a year after 55-year-old Sally Wakefield, from Wootton Bassett, died after she fell from Hook bridge over the M4.
And a month before that incident a member of the public saved a young girl in her 20s from dropping on to the M4 from the Hook bridge.
The heroic woman in her 40s spotted the girl on the bridge after driving past with her husband.
Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident or those who saw the woman walking along Croft Road to contact them on 0845 408 7000.
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