A 55-year-old Topeka man was injured Saturday morning after his motorcycle struck a deer on U.S. Highway 40 in western Douglas County.

According to a Douglas County Sheriff’s report, Gregory C. King at 7:20 a.m. was traveling east on the highway about 1 mile east of the Shawnee County line when his 1984 Honda motorcycle struck a deer in the road. King was thrown from the motorcycle. He was taken by ambulance to Stormont-Vail Regional Health Center in Topeka and was later flown to Kansas University Hospital in Kansas City, Kan., for further treatment.

A deputy said when he arrived at the scene King was not wearing a helmet, and the officer found two helmets located in small cloth bags near the crash scene.

According to the accident report, family members told officers that doctors were optimistic about King’s recovery. Jill Chadwick, a KU Hospital spokeswoman, said Monday King was listed in critical condition.