Police want to speak to the passengers of a vehicle that narrowly missed a horse moments before it and a motorcycle collided, leaving a 21-year-old Tauranga man in a serious condition in hospital.

The Tauranga rider and his 16-year-old passenger were travelling on a motorcycle along Thornton Road in Whakatane about 9.30pm on Saturday when they collided with a wandering horse, say police.

Thornton Road in Whakatane, near its intersection with Golf Links Road, where the incident is reported to have occured. Photo: Google Earth.

The man was airlifted to Waikato Hospital in a serious condition with head injuries, and the female passenger was taken to Tauranga Hospital with moderate injuries.

Eastern Bay of Plenty officer in charge of road policing, Sergeant Ray Wylie, says another vehicle, heading north towards Matata, was seen swerving to avoid the horse moments before the crash.

'Police would like to speak to the occupants, or driver of this vehicle as witnesses for the crash investigation,” says Ray.

The Tauranga man was initially taken to Whakatane Hospital before being airlifted by the Westpac Rescue helicopter to Waikato Hospital under the care of an Intensive Care Unit retrieval team. He remains in a serious condition today.

The occupants of the vehicle, or any other witnesses are asked to contact Whakatane Police on 07 308 5255.