STURGIS, S.D. The highway patrol released details today of the third rally-related fatality.
The patrol says it happened on Highway 44 at Scenic.
Three motorcycles were eastbound on South Dakota Highway 34. A 2019 Harley-Davidson Trike stopped on the shoulder of the road and then attempted a U-turn. A 2012 Harley-Davidson motorcycle collided with the trike and a 2018 Harley-Davidson Trike then struck the motorcycle. The 66-year-old female passenger on the 2018 trike was pronounced dead at the scene. The 71-year-old male driver suffered serious non-life threatening injuries and was transported to a Rapid City hospital. Neither was wearing a helmet. The 62-year-old male driver of the motorcycle sustained serious non-life threatening injuries and was transported to a Rapid City hospital. He was not wearing a helmet. The 64-year-old male driver of the 2019 trike received minor injuries and was taken to a Rapid City hospital. He was not wearing a helmet. The 58-year-old female passenger was not injured. She was wearing a helmet.
The patrol also listed six injury crashes in its latest report with four of them resulting in serious injuries.
D-U-I arrests are now ahead of last year, as 77 have been reported – compared to 74 on this date last year.
Felony drug arrests are at 50 and misdemeanor drug arrests total 80. Both those numbers are down over last year.
Locally at the rally, Sturgis Police have doled out 102 parking citations and made 36 D-U-I arrests.
In their latest report, police report the number of illegal parking issues have decreased a bit as the rally heads into its second half.
Police have responded to 13 non-injury crashes and 7 injury crashes so far and have made 11 felony drug arrests. There were no felony drug arrests, however, over the past 24 hours. Misdemeanor drug arrests and citations total 40 so far and there have been 10 fight or disturbance calls.
There have been 79 people booked into the Meade County jail.
Here is a synopsis of the latest injury crashes:
At 11:23 a.m., Tuesday, intersection of South Dakota Highway 89 and South Dakota Highway 87, five miles north of Custer: A 2009 Harley-Davidson FLHRC motorcycle was southbound on South Dakota Highway 83 when the 51-year-old female driver failed to negotiate a turn. She suffered serious non-life threatening injuries and was taken to the Custer hospital. She was not wearing a helmet.
At 12:25 p.m., Tuesday, U.S. Highway 18, mile marker 19, eight miles east of Sturgis: A 2006 Nissan Titan vehicle pulling a trailer eastbound on U.S. Highway 18 when the driver lost control. The vehicle and trailer tipped over in the eastbound lane. The 52-year-old female driver sustained minor injuries and the 57-year-old male passenger was partially ejected and sustained serious non-life threatening injuries. Both were taken to the Hot Springs hospital. Neither occupant wore a seatbelt.
At 1:20 p.m., Tuesday, Vanocker Road, mile marker 11, six miles south of Sturgis: A 2009 Harley-Davidson FLF motorcycle was northbound on Vanocker Road when the driver failed to negotiate a left-hand curve. The motorcycle went off the road to the right and hit rocks. The 60-year-old male driver sustained serious non-life threatening injuries and was transferred to the Sturgis hospital. He was not wearing a helmet.
At 5:15 p.m., Tuesday, South Dakota Highway 79, mile marker 112, two miles north of Sturgis: A 2019 Harley-Davidson FLHXS motorcycle was southbound on South Dakota Highway 79 when it rear-ended a 2019 Indian Chieftain motorcycle. The 61-year-old male driver of the Harley-Davidson suffered serious non-life threatening injuries and was transported to the Sturgis hospital. The 62-year-old male driver of the Indian Chieftain motorcycle was not injured. Neither was wearing a helmet.
At 6:50 p.m., Tuesday, Pleasant Valley Road, five miles south of Sturgis: A 2017 Harley-Davidson FLTRXS motorcycle was eastbound on Pleasant Valley Road when the driver lost control. The 56-year-old female driver sustained minor injuries and was taken to the Sturgis hospital. She was not wearing a helmet.
At 7:42 p.m., Tuesday, at the intersection of Lazelle Street and 14th Street, within the city limits of Sturgis: A 2005 Harley-Davidson XL883C motorcycle was westbound on Lazelle Street when it lost control. The 48-year-old driver sustained minor injuries, but was not transported. He was wearing a helmet.
