A MOTORCYCLIST suffered 'life-changing injuries' after he collided with a deer in the early hours of the morning.

Emergency services rushed to the incident shortly after 1.30am earlier today after a Red Honda motorcycle, registered to a local man from Dorchester, collided with a deer on the A354 Weymouth Relief Road.

The man suffered life-changing injuries in the collision and was rushed to hospital.

The collision happened around half-a-mile southbound from the Winterborne Monkton Junction.

The road was closed overnight from the Jurassic Roundabout to the A35 to allow the emergency services to work, and for an investigation to be launched by Dorset Police.

A spokesman for Dorset Police said: “At 1.34am on Wednesday, July 8 a single vehicle serious injury collision occurred on the A354 Dorchester to Weymouth Relief Road, half-a-mile from the Winterbourne Monkton junction.

“A red Honda motorcycle had been in a collision with a deer.

“The rider of the motorcycle, a local man from Dorchester, sustained life-changing injuries as a result of the collision.

“Police are appealing for witnesses of the collision or of the riding of the motorbike before the collision to contact PC 247 Loveless at the Traffic Unit West Weymouth by calling 101.”

A spokesman for the ambulance service said: "We were called at 1.33am to the accident at the Winterborne Monkton area of the A354.

"The motorcyclist had a serious head injury. He was semi-consious at the scene.

"He was taken to Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester."