photo by: Elvyn Jones

A Douglas County Sheriff's Office vehicle is pictured in this file photo from August 2017.

A driver was injured in a crash Tuesday morning after hitting a deer on U.S. Highway 40 near the 27th Street intersection in southwest Lawrence.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office responded to an injury crash around 5:50 a.m. after a vehicle heading east on the highway struck a deer, sending the animal into the other lane, where it hit a vehicle heading west, Lt. Rich Qualls said in an email to the Journal-World.

One of the drivers was transported to the hospital for an injury, and the sheriff’s office briefly closed the roadway to provide aid, Qualls said. A medical-transport helicopter came to the scene of the wreck, according to the sheriff’s office’s social media.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the sheriff’s office has not provided any additional information about the injured driver’s identity.

US Hwy 40 is currently shut down for an injury accident, from 59 Hwy to 27th Street. We will advise when it reopens. pic.twitter.com/KDuepvIjNj

— Douglas Co. Sheriff (@DGSOSheriff) May 25, 2021