A man was airlifted to the hospital Wednesday evening after crashing into a deer while riding his motorcycle along Shaw Road.

The incident happened around 7:45 p.m., shortly after the man had left a nearby repair shop. According to a witness, a deer ran into the roadway and the motorcyclist had no time to react before slamming into it. Both the man and the deer went airborne from the impact, and the rider landed in the middle of the road, the witness said.

Emergency responders arrived on the scene to find the man alert and sitting up, despite suffering what officials said was at least a broken arm. He was treated at the scene before being transported to a helicopter landing zone set up in the parking lot of Union Pines High School.

The man was then flown to a trauma center for further evaluation and treatment. Shaw road was closed for approximately an hour as emergency crews were on the scene.