A PEDESTRIAN has been seriously injured after being knocked over by a van in Blackhill, Consett.
A Durham Police spokesperson said: "A man in his 60s suffered serious head injuries following the incident in Blackhill, near Consett this morning.
"Just before 9.15am, police were alerted by the ambulance service to the incident, which happened close to The Cricketers pub at the junction of Durham Road and Laburnum Avenue.
"Both roads were closed for approximately two hours while emergency services treated the victim and to allow accident investigators to examine the scene."
A crew from the Great North Air Ambulance, who had landed in the nearby Blackhill and Consett Park, airlifted the patient to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, in Newcastle, for treatment, although his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
The driver of the vehicle involved, a Ford Transit van, was not injured.
The spokesperson added: “This is a fairly busy area at that time of the morning and we would appeal for anyone who witnessed the incident to get in touch.
“We would also like to take this opportunity to thank drivers and residents for their patience during this morning’s disruption.”
A spokesperson for the Great North Air Ambulance said: "We were called at 9.15am to reports of a person injured in Blackhill, Consett.
"We flew to the scene with a doctor and paramedic on board and treated a patient on the scene, before accompanying him to hospital by road."
The patient was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.
Anyone who witnessed the accident is asked to ring Durham Constabulary’s Roads Policing Unit on 101, quoting reference 0094 of November 6.
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