PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Highway Patrol has released its first rally statistics report for the 81st Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
The Rally officially began on Friday, and the first report includes statistics from 6:00 a.m. Saturday, August 7, to 6:00 a.m. Sunday, August 8.
The number of injury accidents so far total 9, with 5 in the Sturgis district and 4 in the Rapid City district. There have been 4 total non-injury accidents. Those numbers are down from the same period last year, which saw 12 injury accidents and 6 non-injury accidents.
There has been one fatality recorded in the latest report. The fatal accident occurred at 11:52 a.m. Saturday on I-90 at mile marker 110 at Wall. The patrol says a 2011 Harley-Davidson FLSTF motorcycle was westbound when the driver lost control. The vehicle hit a guard rail. The 36-year-old female driver, who was not wearing a helmet, was thrown from the motorcycle. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
There were three separate accidents on Friday in which three motorcyclists were killed. Those fatalities will not appear on the patrol’s official rally report although they are rally-related.
Counting those fatalities, there have been 4 since the Rally officially began.
In other statistics, drug and D.U.I. arrests are all down over last year on this date.
The patrol reports 4 felony drug arrests – well below the 17 recorded at this time last year. Misdemeanor drug arrests are also down from 41 last year to 16 this year.
D.U.I. arrests so far total 20 – down 6 from the first report last year.
Here is a synopsis of Saturday’s injury accidents:
At 7:32 a.m., Saturday, U.S. Highway 14A, mile marker 49, three miles west of Sturgis: A 2012 Harley-Davidson FLHR motorcycle was eastbound on U.S. Highway 14A when the driver failed to negotiate a curve. The motorcycle crossed into the westbound lane where it collided with a westbound 2012 Harley-Davidson FLHTCU motorcycle. The 60-year-old male driver of the FLHR motorcycle suffered minor injuries. Charges are pending against him. The 56-year-old female driver of the FLHTCU motorcycle was thrown from the motorcycle and suffered serious non-life threatening injuries. She was transported to the Sturgis hospital. Both drivers were wearing helmets.
At 10:49 a.m., Saturday, U.S. Highway 14A, mile marker 45, three miles east of Deadwood: A 1998 Honda Goldwing motorcycle was eastbound on U.S. Highway 14A when it struck a deer. The 59-year-old male driver received minor injuries and the 57-year-old female passenger sustained serious non-life threatening injuries. Both were wearing helmets and both were transported to the Deadwood hospital.
At 11:53 a.m., Saturday, intersection of Sturgis Road and Tilford Road, near Piedmont: Three motorcycles were southbound on Sturgis Road. A 2007 Harley-Davidson FXDBI motorcycle did not slow down in time and collided with the two motorcycles that were ahead of it. The 40-year-old male driver suffered serious non-life threatening injuries and was transported to the Sturgis Hospital. Charge is pending. The other two motorcycles were a 2006 Harley-Davidson and a 2000 Harley-Davidson FLTR. Both male drivers received minor injuries but were not transported. Helmets were not used.
At 12:45 p.m., Saturday, Vanocker Canyon Road, mile marker 12.5, four miles south of Sturgis: A 2000 Harley-Davidson STC motorcycle was southbound when the driver failed to negotiate a curve. The vehicle went onto the road’s shoulder and struck a guard rail. The 57-year-old male driver was thrown from the motorcycle and sustained serious non-life threatening injuries. He was transported to the Sturgis hospital. He was not wearing a helmet.
At 1:12 p.m., Saturday, U.S. Highway 385, 12 miles west of Rapid City: A 2003 Harley-Davidson FLHTCUI motorcycle was northbound on U.S. Highway 385 approaching the intersection of S.D. Highway 44 when the driver lost control and went into the ditch. The 61-yer-old male driver suffered serious non-life threatening injuries and was transported to a Rapid City hospital. He was wearing a helmet.
At 2:40 p.m., Saturday, U.S. Highway 14A, mile marker 43, one mile east of Deadwood: A 1986 Harley-Davidson FXW motorcycle was eastbound on U.S. Highway 14A when the driver failed to negotiate a turn. The 49-year-old male driver and the 50-year-old female passenger both sustained serious non-life threatening injuries. Both were taken by ambulance to the Deadwood. Neither was wearing a helmet.
At 5:51 p.m., Saturday, U.S. Highway 16/385, mile marker 40, south side of Hill City: A 1997 Dodge 1500 pickup was westbound on U.S. Highway 16 and was preparing to make a left-hand turn into a campground. The driver failed to yield to an eastbound 2018 Harley-Davidson FLF motorcycle. The 20-year-old male driver of the motorcycle sustained minor injuries and was transported to a Rapid City hospital. The 21-year-old female passenger was not injured. Both were not wearing helmets. The 42-year-old male driver of the pickup was not injured and was not wearing a seat belt. Charges are pending against him.
At 11 p.m., Saturday, Fort Meade Way, two miles south of Fort Meade: A 2012 Ford Fusion was northbound on Fort Meade Way and collided with a southbound 2011 Harley-Davidson VST motorcycle. The 58-year-old male driver of the motorcycle sustained life-threatening injuries and was transported to a Rapid City hospital. He was not wearing a helmet. The 80-year-old female driver of the Fusion and two male passengers, ages 85 and 12, all suffered minor injuries and all were transported to the Sturgis hospital. All were wearing seat belts. Charges are pending against both drivers.
