A TEENAGER was today fighting for his life after he was involved in an accident while riding a moped.

The 17-year-old, who friends named as Robert Burden, was not wearing a helmet and was understood to be riding the bike with no lights on when he collided with a car during evening rush hour, according to police.

Robert was this morning said to be critically ill but in a stable condition following the accident. His family were thought to have spent the weekend at his bedside in Southampton General Hospital.

It's the third moped accident involving youths in the last two years.

Lewis Grundy and Jamie Gosney were killed when they collided with a car. Lewis's brother Lloyd and his friend were seriously injured 18 months later.

Police are continuing to investigate the cause of the crash which happened close to the Lordshill centre in Southampton.

The accident happened as a blue Vauxhall Astra, being driven by a 38-year-old man, turned into Tangmere Drive from Lordshill Centre East.

Police said the car collided with the oncoming moped, which was not thought to have its lights on.

Paramedics were called to the scene and took the teenager, who has not been named, to Southampton General Hospital with injuries that were described as serious and life-threatening. He remained in intensive care last night.

Police sealed off the junction at the back of the busy Lordshill shopping centre to investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident which happened at 6pm on Friday.

Officers spent the weekend conducting door-to-door inquiries in a bid to piece together events leading up to the collision.

Sgt John Fahy said: "We are taking eye witness statements and are appealing for anyone who saw the vehicles just before the crash to contact police.

"The youngster remains in a serious condition in hospital. From what we know so far it would appear the car collided with the bike as the car tried to turn right into Tangmere Drive. We understand the bike was not displaying any lights and the rider was not wearing a crash helmet."

A resident living near to the crash scene said: "When I came home I saw the police and ambulance already here. It did look quite serious. They closed the road while they dealt with it."

Two lives lost Accidents involving motorbikes and mopeds have claimed the lives of two teenagers and left another seriously injured over the past two years.

As previously reported in the Daily Echo Lewis Grundy, 17, and Jamie Gosney, 15, were both killed when the moped they were on crashed into a car in Lower Brownhill Road.

An inquest heard how both Lewis, who was riding the bike, and Jamie, the pillion passenger, had taken drink and drugs and the bike they were on was not roadworthy.

Eighteen months later in July this year Lewis' younger brother Lloyd, 15, was also involved in a crash just yards from his Lordshill home after he lost control of the bike he was riding with friend Ashley Harrop, 17, on the back.

He was left with life-threatening injuries but has since made a full recovery. Ashley suffered a broken leg and ankle.

Anyone with information about the accident on Friday night can contact Totton Roads Policing Unit on 0845 045 4545.