A police dog is being credited for finding a badly-injured man who went missing from the scene of a serious car crash.

On Sunday, 88 kilometres north of Winnipeg in the RM of Armstrong, a serious crash occurred at approximately 9:25 p.m. A northbound vehicle on Highway 7, north of Provincial Road 231, crossed the road's dividing centre line and was sideswiped by a southbound vehicle, sending the two vehicles into the ditch.

The driver of the northbound vehicle fled the scene on foot while injured.

RCMP officers, along with Police Services Dog Earl responded to the crash. Earl led his handler into the wooded area and open field in search of the driver for one kilometre.

They then discovered the driver, barely conscious and badly injured.

"The RM of Armstrong Fire Department assisted by transporting the male via an all-terrain vehicle to awaiting Emergency Medical Personnel," RCMP Manitoba says.

The 22-year-old driver was taken t the hospital with serious injuries.

The driver of the southbound vehicle was uninjured.

Both are from Winnipeg.