A WOMAN is fighting for her life after being involved in a serious crash.

The 40-year-old woman, from Crewkerne, is being treated at Southampton General Hospital, having suffered life-threatening injuries to her legs, pelvis and chest.

Dorset Police said she was trapped in her silver Vauxhall Astra "for quite some time" before she was freed by the fire service.

The crash, which occured occurred on the A356 near the Winyard's Gap Inn, Chedington, in the west of the county, at around 2pm on Saturday, also involved a white Ford Transit van driven by a 28-year-old man.

The driver of the van was treated at Dorset County Hospital for minor injuries and the front seat passenger was taken to Yeovil Hospital with serious injuries.

Officers have now released pictures of the crash site and are renewing their appeal for information.

Police Sergeant Nikki Burt, of Dorset Police’s Traffic Unit, said: “I am renewing my appeal for witnesses of this very serious collision.

“I am also able to release images of the vehicles just after the collision and ask anyone who saw the manner of driving of either vehicle, prior to the incident, to contact me on 101.”

Emergency services attended the scene and closed off the road to deal with the incident.

Adam Collinge, operations officer for the South Western Ambulance Service, said the Devon Air Ambulance attended the scene but the extent of the woman's injuries meant the Dorset and Somerset Ambulance was also called with a specialist trauma doctor.

Mr Collinge said he wanted to thank a doctor who was passing and who took the men into his car and looked after them to shelter them from the weather until the emergency services could tend to them.

He said: "He helped us until everybody arrived at the scene.

"We are very grateful for his help."

Another man, who arrived on the scene before the doctor, helped tend to the woman and stem the blood flow from her injuries.

He was thanked by police for his efforts.

Dorset Fire and Rescue Service said a crew from Beaminster had worked alongside Crewkerne firefighters from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service to free the woman trapped in her vehicle.

A 28-year-old Crewkerne man has been arrested on suspicion of driving offences and released on police bail pending further enquiries.

Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 101, quoting incident number 28:210.

Alternatively, witnesses and anyone with information should call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.