A man is fighting for his life in hospital after a serious crash on the A249.

The Vauxhall Corsa he was driving left the road at Detling on the Sittingbourne-bound carriageway near the Three Squirrels pub and hit a tree at around 7.30am Thursday.

Both sides of the road from the Stockbury roundabout to the roundabout at junction 7 of the M20 were closed to allow the Kent Air Ambulance to land.

The injured driver, who is thought to be in his early 30s, to King's College Hospital in south London.

The man, who was alone in his car, suffered a serious head injury and had to be resuscitated at the scene.

There is no update on his condition but police earlier described his injuries as life-threatening.

A crew from Kent Fire and Rescue Service used hydraulic equipment to cut him free from the car.

The crash led to huge tailbacks in the area - but police confirmed the road fully reopened at around 11.30am.

The cause of the collision is not known at the moment.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Kent Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 01622 798538.