A Hayward man was injured Wednesday morning after a motorcycle he was driving collided with a deer on South Shore Avenue.

Christian Elleby, 60, was taken to Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea with injuries described by Albert Lea Police Department Lt. Darren Hanson as serious but not life-threatening.

Elleby was driving a 2006 Kawasaki 1600 motorcycle north on South Shore Drive when a deer entered the road, and the motorcycle collided with it at speeds estimated between 35 to 40 mph.

The crash was reported at 6:06 a.m. at 1205 South Shore Drive.

The Albert Lea Fire Department, Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office and Gold Cross Ambulance assisted on scene.

Alcohol was not a factor in the crash, and Elleby was wearing a helmet, which reduced the severity of the crash, Hanson said.