A MOTORIST has been airlifted to hospital after he was seriously injured in a crash on the A35.
The A35 Puddletown Bypass was shut for several hours between the junctions for A31 Shell Roundabout and B3150 Stinsford Hill since approximately 9am on Sunday, January 24.
The major Dorset route was along several roads affected by snow and ice after the county has hit by snow overnight following a weather warning for snow and ice by Met Office.
Dorset Police say a white Toyota Hilux crashed into the central reservation and the bridge pillar on the westbound carriage near to the Northbrook junction.
Police officers and an air ambulance arrived at the scene, where the driver, a man in his 20s from Southampton, was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.
A spokesman for Dorset Police said officers have been at the scene for several hours to carry out an investigation into the serious collision.
He said: "We were called at 9.01am with a report of a single-vehicle collision on the westbound carriageway of the A35 Puddletown bypass near to Northbrook junction.
"It was reported that the vehicle, a white Toyota Hilux, collided with a central reservation and then a bridge pillar.
"The driver, a man aged in his 20s from Southampton, was taken to hospital by air ambulance for treatment to serious injuries.
"Road closures were put in place as the emergency services dealt with the incident and for an examination of the scene to be carried out."
The road has since reopened in both directions at 7pm, but a lane closure is in place on the westbound carriageway to allow emergency repairs to take place.
Travel Dorset states: "One lane closed due to emergency repairs on A35 Westbound between A31 (Shell Roundabout, Bere Regis) and A354 (Puddletown / Blandford turn off, Puddletown). In the roadworks area.
"Lane one (of two) remains closed on the westbound side for barrier repairs but the road has re-opened at 7pm both ways following a serious accident this morning which the air ambulance attended.
"The lane closure is likely to be in place for several days."
In another crash, one vehicle was involved in a collision in the same area on the A35 Puddletown bypass at 8.02am.
Dorset Police say there were no reports of any injuries, but debris was reported on the carriageway.
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