A TWENTY-six year-old man has been taken to hospital following a “serious” collision on the A35 near Bridport.

Emergency services rushed to the scene on Firch Lane near Bridport just after 2pm following reports of a car colliding with a tree.

The young man involved has been taken to Southampton General Hospital by air ambulance.

The A35 is now re-open between Monkeys Jump Roundabout in Dorchester and Greens Roundabout in Bridport.

A spokesman for South Western Ambulance Service said: “It was a single-vehicle collision. A car has collided with a tree. There is one male casualty with a chest and back injury and the air ambulance has been requested.”

A spokesman for Dorset Police said: “We were called at 2.16pm to reports of a single-vehicle collision on the A35.

“The collision occurred coming out of Bridport towards Dorchester.

“The A35 is closed from Bridport to Dorchester and there is also closures at the Shipton George and Burton Bradstock turning.”

The air ambulance landed at the scene just before 3pm.

An eyewitness said the A35 is completely blocked. He said: “Police are diverting traffic. It looks as though the collision has happened just past the Walditch turning. The air ambulance has landed but I haven’t seen it take back off again yet.”