A MAN was killed when his car collided with a deer as he drove along the A35 in the New Forest.

The freak accident happened at 7.50pm on Sunday when a Saab car travelling near Holmsley towards Christchurch collided with the animal.

The impact caused the deer to be thrown into the path of a Ford C-Max car which was travelling in the opposite direction.

The driver of the Ford car, a 38-year-old man from the Watford area, suffered fatal injuries. His 38-year-old partner and their two children aged six and 18 months all suffered minor injuries and were taken to Southampton General Hospital for treatment.

The driver of the Saab car was uninjured but shocked.

Firefighters from Burley and New Milton attended the incident and cut one casualty free from the wreckage.

A road accident in West Dorset on Sundy also claimed the life of an elderly woman.

The collision happened at 6.30pm on the eastbound carriageway of the A35 West Road in Bridport and involved a parked van and a Peugeot car.

It appears the Peugeot car was in collision with a man as he worked at the rear of his van, police said. The 46-year-old Bridport man was airlifted to hospital with extensive leg injuries.

The driver of the Peugeot, a 90-year-old from the Exeter areas, suffered serious injuries and later died.