Two people suffered serious injuries early Tuesday, Nov. 19, after they collided with a deer while riding a motorcycle along Route 8 in Mercer Township.

State police said Aaron J. Brown, 22, of Butler, was driving a Harley-Davidson south on Route 8 at around 12:20 a.m. when he struck a deer standing in the middle of the lane, injuring him and his passenger, Isabella Steel Haller, 21, of Chicora.

Both were flown by medical helicopter to Saint Elizabeth Hospital in Youngstown, Ohio, to be treated, according to police.

Neither occupant of the motorcycle was wearing a helmet or proper safety equipment, police said.