A CYCLIST has died at a Southampton hospital after a crash with a parked car.

Emergency services, including the air ambulance, were called to the collision on Saturday afternoon.

The cyclist, a 79-year-old man, was taken to Southampton General Hospital by the air ambulance with a serious head injury.

He died from his injuries later that evening following the incident in Winton, Bournemouth.

The next of kin of the cyclist, who is from Bournemouth, have been informed and the coroner notified.

Police Constable Shaun Ferguson, of the traffic unit, said: “I am appealing to anyone who witnessed the collision or saw the cyclist prior to the incident to please contact police.”

The incident occurred at around 3.45pm at Cranmer Road car park, behind Wilko, where the 79-year-old man had come into collision with a parked white Mitsubishi L200.

It is understood that the man had lost control of his bike in the moments before the collision and come into contact with the stationary vehicle.

Police and paramedics scrambled to the scene.

The man was transported by land ambulance to Winton Recreation Ground where the air ambulance had landed just before 4pm.

A crowd gathered at the park where young children were playing. Families watched on as the man was moved to the helicopter before it took off towards Southampton.

The car park was cordoned off by police while the scene was investigated.

It was reopened just before 6pm.

Isla Pendreigh and James Green, both 21 and of Leamington Road, said that at the height of the incident they saw four ambulances and two police cars at Heron Court Road, next to the recreation ground.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at by visiting dorset.police.uk, via email at 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting incident number 18:267.

Alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or via crimestoppers-uk.org.