THREE men fled the scene of a crash involving a stolen van and a car which left one man seriously injured.

The crash involving a yellow Mercedes Sprinter van and a silver Vauxhall Corsa occurred in Holdenhurst Road near Springbourne Fire Station at around 7.10am on Monday morning.

Police said it was reported that the three occupants of the van remained at the scene for a short time after the crash before making off in the direction of Kings Park.

The driver of the Vauxhall, a Bournemouth man aged in his 30s, was taken to hospital for injuries that were believed to be serious but not life threatening.

Police said the van was subsequently reported as having been stolen from an address in Christchurch.

Emergency services attended the incident and road closures were put in place.

The road was reopened at around 9.15am.

Police Constable Simon Hatch, of the traffic unit, said: “We are continuing to investigate this collision and we of course wish the driver of the Vauxhall a speedy recovery from his injuries.

“I am appealing for anyone who witnessed the collision or the manner of driving of either vehicle prior to it to please contact us.

“I would also like to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time and has captured anything relevant on their dashcam.

“It was reported that the three occupants of the van remained at the scene for a period of time following the collision before leaving in the direction of Kings Park so I would urge motorists to check their footage if they were in this area from around 7am to around 7.30am.

“Finally, I would like to thank members of the public for their patience and understanding while the road closures were in place.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk, via email at scit@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55190189359. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org.