AN elderly woman has been rushed to hospital with serious injuries following an apparent freak accident in Christchurch. 

Emergency services were called to St Catherine's Parade, Fairmile Road, around lunchtime after the 85-year-old woman was injured when she exited the rear passenger seat of a car.

It is understood the woman, who lives locally, was injured by the car she'd exited as it pulled away.

The injured pensioner was treated at the scene by paramedics and taken to Poole Hospital where emergency medics were standing by. Two other occupants of the red Chevrolet Aveo car were shocked but uninjured in the incident.

Dorset Police, who sealed off the entrance to St Catherine's Parade while investigations continued, confirmed the woman sustained serious injures but was in a stable condition in hospital.

One witness told the Echo: "I think this was just a tragic accident. The lady was apparently getting out of the car, she must have fallen, got caught up in the door or something like that.

"I only saw the aftermath, when all the police and ambulance people were there. I hope she makes a full recovery because it looked pretty bad."

A Dorset Police spokesman confirmed its officers attended reports of a single vehicle serious road traffic collision, at 12.30pm on Sunday, at Fairmile Road, Christchurch, where the rear seat passenger had been run over and received serious injuries. The accident actually happened on the small service road at St Catherine's Parade, parallel to Fairmile Road.

The police spokesman continued: "The injured party, an 85-year-old local lady, was transported to Poole Hospital by South Western Ambulance Service where she remains with injuries described as serious - but she is in a stable condition.

"The other two occupants of the vehicle, that being a red Chevrolet Aveo, were shocked but uninjured."

Dorset Police are interested in speaking to any witnesses to the incident, in particular anyone who noticed anything about the manner of driving in the moments beforehand.

Anyone with information should contact PC 1846 Ferguson by calling 101.