A 19-YEAR-OLD man was fighting for his life last night after suffering serious head injuries when he was struck by a car.

There were dramatic scenes when two helicopters from the Great North Air Ambulance arrived to help paramedics at the scene of the crash, which happened at the Delves Lane roundabout on the Consett bypass, in County Durham.

A police spokesman said emergency services were alerted after a Mercedes Benz hit the pedestrian at 11.30am.

The man, from the Consett area, was taken by the Great North Air Ambulance to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, in Newcastle, where he was last night described as being in a critical condition.

The Mercedes was driven by a local man, who was unhurt.

The police spokesman said: “The pedestrian received serious head injuries and was airlifted to Newcastle RVI where he is now in intensive care.

“Police spoke to a number of witnesses at the scene, but are still keen to contact any others.”

Shaun Grey, 25, of Consett, who arrived at the scene shortly after the accident, said: “There were skid marks on the road at the junction. It looks as though the car hit the lad, who went over the windscreen, and he landed quite far out from where he was.

“The ambulance and police were already there when a helicopter landed on a grassed area between the road and housing estate.

Ten minutes later, a second helicopter landed on the roundabout and a doctor walked across to help.

“There was large crowd gathered on the footbridge and at the wall looking over the road.”

A spokesman for the Great North Air Ambulance said: “We were called to help paramedics from the North-East Ambulance Service who were dealing with a 19-year-old man who had been knocked over.

“He sustained serious head injuries.

“The Guardian of the North was dispatched from Durham Tees Valley Airport, near Darlington, as well as the Pride of Cumbria, based at Penrith, as it had a doctor on board who could administer anaesthetic.

“The man was anaesthetised at the scene before being flown into RVI.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the police on 101 and ask for the collision investigation unit.