John Grant Tyler, 37, of Knoxville was seriously injured when he hit a deer with his motorcycle and spent the night laying in the ditch hoping a passerby would see him and stop.

The accident occurred at approximately midnight in the 600 block of G-76 two miles east of Melcher Dallas.

Officials on scene tell KNIA/KRLS News that Tyler was westbound on a Harley Davidson motorcycle when he hit a pregnant deer. The deer was cut in half, and dragged approximately 100 feet from the scene of the initial collision. Tyler traveled approximately another 100 feet before he and his motorcycle came to rest in the southern ditch. Tyler and the motorcycle were partially obscured in the ditch, and it wasn’t until approximately 7:15 this morning when a passerby noticed Tyler when he raised his arm.

No helmet was found at the accident scene, and Tyler suffered apparent serious head injuries and is in serious but stable condition in the intensive care unit at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines.

Melcher Dallas Fire and Rescue, Columbia Fire and Rescue, and the Marion County Sheriff’s office responded to the scene. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.