A YOUNG man is fighting for his life after crashing his car in the early hours of this morning.

The 21-year-old suffered serious head injuries in the accident at the A689/A68 roundabout at Harperley, near Crook, County Durham.

He is at the University Hospital of North Durham where his condition has been described as life threatening.

Durham police are appealing for witnesses to the accident.

At about 3am this morning the man, from Shildon, was driving a Peugeot 206 westbound on the A689 road from Crook towards Harperley.

For an unknown reason the vehicle left the road and collided with the central reservation then collided with traffic signals and a lamppost before overturning.

It landed on the grassed area at the centre of the roundabout.

He was transported by ambulance to the hospital in Durham City.

The road was closed to allow the man to be treated at the scene, for the vehicle to be made safe and for accident investigations to begin.

It remained closed at 10am.

Witnesses are asked to call Durham police's accident investigation unit on 0191-375-2159.