POLICE were today continuing to probe the cause of a horror accident which killed one driver and closed Scotland’s busiest road.

Grandfather Wayne Strickland, 49, who was trapped inside his car after it collided with an articulated lorry, was killed when the vehicle burst into flames.

The father of three was on his way to his job at West Lothian Council when he became involved in the accident, which also involved a second car and a van yesterday morning.

Wayne, who lived in Inverkeithing, Fife, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said a Peugeot 206, Kia Rio, Mercedes van and an articulated HGV were all involved in the collision.

Wayne was the owner of the Peugeot 206.

Two other casualties were rushed to hospital while several “walking wounded” were treated at the scene.

The M8 motorway reopened last night following the smash in which three vehicles burst into flames.

In a statement from his family, they said: “Wayne Strickland was a business adviser with West Lothian Council and was on his way to work from his home in Inverkeithing when the accident happened.

“Wayne was a devoted husband to Bernadette and a loving father to all his children.

“He was loved by his extended family and friends for his kind, pleasant and calm personality. He will be sadly missed.”

A spokesman for West Lothian Council said Wayne was a very popular and respected colleague and those that worked with him have been left devastated by this tragic news.

He added: “Wayne had worked with West Lothian Council for a number of years and those that had the pleasure to work with him feel very fortunate to have known him as a colleague and friend.

“As a business advisor Wayne worked closely with the local community to help people set up their own companies and his loss will be felt by the wider business community in West Lothian. 

“He will be greatly missed and our thoughts and prayers are with Wayne’s family and friends at this very sad time."

The road was closed in both directions for around eight hours yesterday while recovery work took place. The eastbound carriageway was reopened around 4.20pm yesterday, with the westbound route opening up to traffic 15 minutes later.

A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: “Police Scotland responded to a four-vehicle collision on the westbound carriageway of the M8, Junction 3 at around 8.50am on Monday, July 20.

“Two cars, a van and an articulated lorry were all involved in the incident, which resulted in three vehicles catching fire.

“We can confirm that one male has died as a result of the collision and inquiries are ongoing.”

Around 20 firefighters worked to tackle blaze, which broke out after the collision, with crews coming f rom Livingston, Sighthill, Bathgate and Linlithgow.

They used three high pressure hose reels and six breathing apparatus while working to extinguish the flames. Shocked drivers reported seeing thick plumes of black smoke rising from the road ahead of them, and several vehicles had stopped near the scene. Some took to social media following the accident to report what they had seen. With the key route closed in both directions, drivers were advised to seek alternative routes while investigations were carried out by emergency services teams. Traffic Scotland warned of severe congestion around the crash scene, but once the road was reopened traffic returned to a normal level. In April, five people were injured in a pile-up involving eight vehicles on the westbound M8, between Charing Cross and the Kingston Bridge in Glasgow.