STURGIS, S.D. – The South Dakota Highway Patrol reported no fatal crashes in their rally update, although one crash left one motorcyclist with life threatening injuries.
The patrol says the crash happened at 12:21 p.m., Friday, on U.S. Highway 14A, mile marker 42, one mile east of Deadwood. A 2009 Harley-Davidson XL883N motorcycle was westbound on U.S. Highway 14A when the female driver lost control of the motorcycle. The motorcycle entered the eastbound lane and hit a guardrail, causing the driver to be thrown from the motorcycle. The 41-year-old driver sustained serious life-threatening injuries and was airlifted to a Rapid City hospital. She was not wearing a helmet.
In all, there were three injury crashes reported in the latest reporting period.
The patrol has reported 45 total injury crashes and 43 non-injury crashes.
There have been 136 D-U-I arrests, 130 misdemeanor drug arrests and 97 felony drug arrests.
The patrol will release their final rally tally on Sunday covering Saturday’s reports.
Here is a synopsis of the other two injury crashes Friday:
At 6:36 a.m., Friday, U.S. Highway 385, mile marker 8, four miles south of Oelrichs: A 2012 Nissan Altima was southbound on U.S. Highway 385 when the driver lost control and the vehicle rolled. The 29-year-old male driver suffered serious non-life threatening injuries and was taken to the Hot Springs hospital. He was wearing a seatbelt.
At 12:50 p.m., Friday, Higgins Gulch Road, three miles south of Spearfish: A 1997 Chevrolet CG110 vehicle was southbound on Higgins Road when the driver lost control of the vehicle, which ran off the road and struck a tree. The 28-year-old male driver, who was not wearing a seatbelt, suffered serious non-life threatening injuries and was taken to the Rapid City hospital. The 38-year-old male passenger was wearing a seatbelt and received minor injuries.
