A MAN in his 50s suffered “very serious” injuries in a crash near Bere Regis on New Year’s Day.

Dorset Police said the incident, involving a white Ford Transit Connect and a black Volkswagen Caddy, happened at around 8.11pm on Monday (January 1), on the A35 near Bloxworth.

The driver of the Volkswagen, a man in his 50s, was taken to hospital for treatment to injuries that are believed to be very serious, police said, with his family informed.

It was reported that the driver of the Ford Transit had left the scene on foot, a spokesperson added.

“Following enquiries, a man aged in his 30s from Bournemouth has been arrested on suspicion of driving offences,” they said.

The road was closed as the emergency services responded to the incident and officers carried out an examination of the scene.

Sergeant Richard Stroud, of the Roads Policing Team, said: “We are carrying out a number of enquiries to establish the full circumstances of this collision and I am keen to hear from any witnesses to the incident, or the manner of driving of the vehicles involved prior to it.

“I would also ask anyone who was driving in the area around the time of the collision to please check any dashcam footage to see if they have captured anything of relevance.

“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 should contact Dorset Police via www.dorset.police.uk, by email to scit@dorset.pnn.police.uk, or by calling 101, quoting incident number 55240000343. They can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously via Crimestoppers-uk.org, or by calling 0800 555 111.