A WOMAN is fighting for her life after she was knocked off her bike on a major city road.

The woman, who is believed to be about 20-years-old, had been cycling on the A3024 Bursledon Road in Southampton when she was involved in a crash with a First Bus.

She is understood to have sustained serious head injuries after the collision with the number nine bus near Costa at Antelope Retail Park.

Emergency services rushed to the scene at 1.30pm and the road was closed from the junction with Kathleen Road, Sholing, to traffic travelling towards the M27 for more than three hours.

Teams from Totton Roads Police and local police stations were on site along with two ambulances, a rapid response vehicle and a trauma-trained Basics doctor.

Paramedics and doctors from South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) treated the woman at the scene before she was rushed to Southampton General Hospital by land ambulance in a life-threatening condition.

The male bus driver was also taken to hospital where he was being treated for shock.

A spokeswoman from SCAS said: "A woman believed to be about 20-years-of-age was taken to Southampton General Hospital in a life threatening condition. A second patient was also taken to Southampton General Hospital."

Steve Parrott, 55, a former refuge collector of Tatwin Crescent, Thornhill, said: "I'm just concerned about the woman and I hope she is ok. It looked like a nasty accident."

Constance Brannen, 71, retired, from Linacre Road, Thornhill, said: "My husband looked out of the window and saw all the ambulances and police and that the road was closed off.

"It's a shame it's happened. On the whole it's a pretty good road but when there is an accident it's always bikes."

Now police have launched an investigation into the crash and they are calling for witnesses to come forward.

Sgt Gabe Snuggs who is leading the investigation said officers had been gathering evidence from the scene, including the bus and bicycle, looking at CCTV and speaking to residents, the five passengers who had been onboard the bus and people who had been driving along Bursledon Road at the time of the crash.

He said: "We are calling for anyone who saw the bus or the red push bike to come forward and help us with our investigation."

Daily Echo: First confirmed they were helping police with their enquiries and they had launched their own investigation.

A spokeswoman said: "We are cooperating with the emergency services' investigations and we're launching our own internal enquiries."

Other busses on the number nine route were diverted via Hinkler Road and Warburton Road while the road was closed.

No arrests had been made.

Anyone with any information can call Totton Roads Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting Operation Mickelham.