AN ELDERLY pedestrian who was involved in a crash with a motorbike in Poole is fighting for his life in hospital.

The pedestrian, a local man in his 70s, was flown to Southampton General Hospital by air ambulance following the collision on Sunday evening.

The crash took place shortly after 6pm on the A35 Commercial Road.

A black Yamaha motorcycle with a pillion passenger was travelling from the Civic Centre toward Bournemouth when it was in collision with a pedestrian who was crossing the road.

Police, together with the ambulance service, attended and the road was closed while a detailed examination of the scene was conducted by specialist officers.

A Dorset Police spokeswoman described his injuries as life-threatening.

The 26-year-old male motorcycle rider from Bournemouth and the 31-year-old female pillion passenger from Poole were taken to Poole Hospital with serious injuries.

Officers investigating the serious road traffic collision in Poole are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.

Sergeant Lee Savage, of the traffic unit, said: “We are carrying out enquiries to establish the full circumstances of this collision.

“I would ask for any witnesses to the collision itself, or anyone who saw the motorcycle or pedestrian immediately before, to come forward.

“Also, I would urge anyone who has dashcam fitted to their vehicle to please view it to see if they have captured the collision or the moments before.

“Finally, I would like to thank motorists for their patience during the road closure, which was necessary to enable emergency services to attend the scene in a safe manner.”

Anyone with information should contact Dorset Police at dorset.police.uk, by emailing at scit@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55210033664.

Alternatively, to stay 100 per cent anonymous, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers online at Crimestoppers-uk.org or call freephone 0800 555 111.