A YOUNG woman was fighting for her life after a head-on horror smash on the A35 near Dorchester.

The 20-year-old driver, who was cut from her crumpled car by firefighters, was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.

She suffered multiple injuries in the collision, which involved two cars near the old Friary Press site, on the Bridport Road close to the Monkey’s Jump roundabout.

A paramedic at the scene said the woman, from Wimborne, was in a ‘critical’ condition and was last night fighting for her life.

Two men aged 18 and 19 from Dorchester in the other car also sustained serious injuries but paramedics said these were not life-threatening.

Shocked resident Phillip Roberts, who heard the impact and witnessed the aftermath, said: “I was sitting at home when I heard the bang – it was like thunder. I saw one car smoking and another in the road.”

The cars involved were a silver Vauxhall Corsa and a black Golf. A witness working nearby said the woman’s condition was described as ‘touch and go’.

Police said they were alerted by several members of the public making 999 calls yesterday afternoon.

The air ambulance was scrambled but medics made the decision to take all three casualties to Dorchester’s Dorset County Hospital by road.

Last night the woman’s family were keeping a vigil at her hospital bedside.

Police said the Golf travelling west collided with the Corsa in the eastbound carriageway.

Officers closed the road between Longland’s Lane at Winterbourne Abbas and the Monkey’s Jump roundabout.

Diversions were also in place at Bridport, to divert lorries onto the A356.

The road was closed for more than three hours as crash investigators tried to establish what happened in the moments leading up to the smash. Mr Roberts, who lives at Radio Station House near the scene of the crash, added: “I went over to help but there was little I could do – then two fire engines and ambulances arrived.

“It was quite shocking, I’ve heard of a few accidents along this stretch, but never seen one like this before.”

Tony King, 73, who lives close by, said: “The traffic was all backed up and I helped direct it off down the lane off the main road because they needed to land the helicopter.”

Chairman of Winterbourne Abbas Parish Council, Janet Allen, who has campaigned for better road safety measures along this stretch of the A35, said her thoughts were with the casualties.

She added: “The stretch of the A35 near the Friary Press is particularly dangerous.

“Cars really go fast and because of the third lane, for lorries to turn into the site, you can get overtaken on both sides.”