MOTORISTS were met with a familiar scene on the M40 yesterday after another fatal crash.

A man was pronounced dead at the scene of the five-car pile up between Beaconsfield and Gerrards Cross at around 8.40am.

Several people were also injured in the smash and taken to Wexham Park Hospital in Slough.

Police shut the southbound carriageway of the motorway from Handy Cross to Gerrards Cross for more than four hours while the wreckage was cleared away.

Fire crews from Amersham, Beaconsfield and High Wycombe released two injured people from the wreckage and another pair managed to free themselves before they arrived.

Traffic was re-directed along the A40 causing long jams through Holtspur, Beaconsfield and Gerrards Cross. Police warned motorists to stay away from the area.

The scenes mirrored those on Thursday when cars were diverted through High Wycombe after the motorway was closed following a horrific seven car smash on the Loudwater flyover near junction three, which killed three people.

The victims from Thursday's smash have been named as Collin Barton, 58, from Birmingham, and couple Colin Ledger, 30, and Deborah Pearmain, 38, both from Houghton Regis near Dunstable.

Yesterday's crash has now become the third serious accident to happen on the stretch between junctions 3 and 1a in five days, after a mum and her son made a miraculous escape from their overturned 4x4 on Saturday near Loudwater.

PC John Belson, from Amersham Roads Policing, did not want to describe the stretch as hazardous, but said a lot of accidents do happen there.

He said: "I'd never like to say dangerous, that would be an indication it's the road's fault, it's just the way it is.

"The road is a straight piece of road going into east Wycombe, there's no rhyme nor reason why vehicles would lose control.

"I don't know why vehicles do it but yes, there just seems to be a propensity for accidents at that location."

The Highways Agency, the Government body responsible for maintaining England's motorways, said it could not comment on the string of accidents yet.

Clair Thomas, Highways Agency spokesman, said: "It is too early for us to comment on the recent incidents on the M40 as the police are still investigating them.

"We take safety extremely seriously and will be carefully studying the police reports when they are complete and will take them into account when planning improvements on that part of the network if they are needed."

Robin Cummins, road safety consultant for the RAC, said the accidents seemed to have been circumstantial. "I know it carries a lot of traffic but it seems to run quite smoothly normally."

Police are now appealing for witnesses of yesterday's crash to come forward. Contact Sergeant Steve Madoc-Jones on 08458 505 505 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

A man was arrested at the scene of Monday's smash and is currently in police custody.