Two unrelated crashes near Lathrop send a pair of motorcyclists to the hospital Sunday.

A motorcyclist from Lawson, Missouri was seriously injured in a crash southeast of Lathrop at 4:40 am Sunday. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says Kurt Mandl lost control of his Harley Davidson when he was hit by a deer along Route V, six miles southeast of Lathrop.

The bike left the highway and ejected Mr Mandl, who was transported to Liberty Hospital.

Another motorcycle crash in Clinton County Sunday sent an Independence man to the hospital with moderate injuries. Traffic investigators say Randall Holmes lost control of his bike on loose gravel along Missouri Highway 33 just south of Lathrop.

The motorcycle went into a ditch and overturned, ejecting Holmes. He was transported to Liberty Hospital.