POLICE investigations continue after a driver was killed when his car crashed into a wild boar which had run into the middle of the M4 near Malmesbury.

The 47-year-old man from Wootton Bassett was pronounced dead at the scene following the accident on Monday evening.

His black Seat Ibiza was travelling in the second lane of the motorway when the car collided with the animal and then crashed into a white Renault lorry.

The driver of the lorry was treated by paramedics at the scene but did not require a hospital stay.

Wiltshire Police are investigating the accident, which happened at about 6.40pm between junctions 17 (Chippenham) and 16 (Swindon West).

Sergeant Steven Love said: “This is a truly tragic incident and my thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim.

“It is quite rare for a wild boar to be on the carriageway of the motorway.

“It is more common for the police to receive calls involving horses or deer but each is equally dangerous to motorists.

“This was a particularly large wild animal and would have caused considerable damage to any vehicle.

“I would appeal for anyone with any information about the incident to contact us as soon as possible.”

The identity of the victim of the crash has not yet been revealed by Wiltshire Police.

The road was closed after the crash with traffic being made to do a U-turn onto the other side of the motorway.

A spokesman for the Highways Agency said this is common practice.

“When we need to release trapped traffic, for example when a road is closed for a significant period by an incident and the traffic is beyond the last junction it is able to exit from, we are able to remove a section of the central barrier and install traffic management to allow a lane of the opposite carriageway to take traffic back to the previous junction,” he said.

The road was re-opened at 2.40am on Tuesday.

Anyone who witnesses the crash or may have useful information is asked to contact the police.

They should call 101 and ask to speak to PC Mark Cargill .

Alternative, they can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information may be left anonymously.

For the latest updates on the accident and investigation, visit our website at wiltsglosstandard.co.uk Turn to page 26 for the editor’s comment