Beech Grove, Indiana


Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Motorcyclist injured after hitting deer

Marshall County, IN (April 30, 2024) - The Indiana State Police said in a statement that a man on a motorcycle was seriously injured this morning when he collided with a deer on Nutmeg Road. State troopers responded to aid 71-year-old Michael Reece, of Culver, around 5:40 a.m.
 


"Preliminary investigation by Trooper Rodd Schuh indicates that Reece was riding a green and black 1997 Harley-Davidson southbound on Nutmeg Road, just north 16th Road when he collided with a deer," ISP said. "Reece lost control of the motorcycle after this collision and slid before coming to rest."



He was transported by Argos EMS to a waiting Samaritan helicopter that transported him to a hospital in Ft. Wayne, IN. "Reece suffered injuries that are considered serious but not life-threatening," ISP said. "Reece was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash."



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Man injured after being thrown from motorcycle

Hamilton County, IN (April 30, 2024) The Steuben County Sheriff’s Department has said that unsafe speed apparently led to a crash Sunday afternoon near Hamilton, Indiana which injured a motorcyclist. A Sheriff spokesperson it happened before 3:00 p.m. in the area of State Road 1 and Hamilton Lake Lane 101 near Clark’s Landing.
 


Deputies found a motorcycle off of the road and 60-year-old Steven D. Hartsock of Bryan, Ohio with an apparent head injury after he failed to negotiate the curve in the road. Hartsock laid the motorcycle down on the road causing it to slide off the road and overturn.



Hartsock was thrown from the motorcycle and the Sheriff’s Department says he was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. Hartsock was flown from the scene to a Fort Wayne area hospital in serious condition by the Samaritan helicopter.

The crash still remains under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office.

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Friday, April 26, 2024

Indiana man dies in motorcycle crash in Illinois

Champaign, Illinois, (April 26, 2024) - A 19-year-old Indiana man is dead after he was ejected from his motorcycle following a collision with a car in Champaign. On Thursday at 10:06 p.m. Champaign Police were dispatched to the intersection of University and Fourth Street for a report of an Accident with Injuries.
 


The initial investigation indicates that the motorcycle was traveling eastbound on University Avenue when a westbound car failed to yield while making a left turn onto Fourth Street. The motorcycle collided with the car, ejecting the rider. The driver of the car was cited at the scene for failure to yield to oncoming traffic.



Police say the man had sustained multiple injuries in a crash, and officers with the Champaign Police Department immediately rendered medical aid with assistance from the Champaign Fire Department.

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Greenfield man dies in motorcycle crash

New Palestine, IN (April 26, 2024) - A man riding a motorcycle lost his life following an SUV versus motorcycle crash in the southern part of the county at approximately 7:30 p.m. Thursday evening. The crash happened near the intersection of Creekside Drive and U.S. 52 in New Palestine.

Timothy C. Bossard, 60, Greenfield, died after being taken to Methodist Hospital shortly after the crash, officials from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department (HCSD) said. According to the Marion County Coroner, the time of death was pronounced at 12:11 a.m. Friday morning, indicating he passed away less than five hours after the crash.
 


The accident happened near the El Toro Bravo Mexican Restaurant in New Palestine located at 7242 U.S. 52 in front of the Schildmeyer neighborhood entrance. The occupants of the vehicle involved in the crash were not seriously hurt and are cooperating with the investigation. “I do know at this time drugs and alcohol are not suspected,” Harris said. “Also, of importance, the motorcycle driver was not wearing a helmet.”



According to officials, the other vehicle in the crash was a Cadillac Escalade and as the driver was leaving the Mexican restaurant, the driver apparently pulled out onto U.S. 52 thinking the road was clear but didn’t see the motorcycle driven by Bossard. Bossard, who was traveling westbound along U.S. 52 was unable to avoid the collision and struck the driver’s side of the vehicle.



According to emergency reports, an official with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department was first on the scene and called in the crash and, according to a report, noted it did not look as if the motorcycle rider was breathing immediately following the crash. However, that was later disregarded and Bossard was taken to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis in critical condition.

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Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Motorcyclist dies in Johnson County crash

Whiteland, IN (April 17, 2024) - According to the Whiteland Police Department, police were called to the intersection of U.S. 31 and Country Wood Drive at 9:30 p.m. on report of a serious accident.
 


Investigators believe a motorcycle rider was traveling north on U.S. 31 when a truck attempted to cross the state highway. The motorcyclist struck the truck and ended up dying as a result of his injuries.



Police identified the motorcyclist as 19-year-old Drew Shrader of Shelbyville, Indiana. Whiteland Police said the driver of the truck was arrested under suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Police identified the driver as 62-year-old Jeffrey Cobbs of New Whiteland, Indiana.

Investigators believe alcohol and speed were factors in this deadly crash.

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Monday, April 15, 2024

Motorcyclist suffers serious bodily injury in crash

Michigan City, IN (April 15, 2024) - A motorcyclist suffered from a "serious bodily injury" Saturday evening after they struck the back of a vehicle and were ejected from the motorcycle.
 


Police were dispatched around 8:15 p.m. for a crash that involved a vehicle and motorcycle in front of Wendy's, 3715 Franklin Street. They found one of the motorcycle riders seriously injured and transported them to Franciscan Health for medical treatment.



A preliminary investigation into the crash showed two motorcycles were traveling south on Franklin Street when a vehicle traveling north in the opposite lane tried to turn left into the Wendy’s. One of the motorcycles struck the rear of the vehicle during the left turn, which caused the occupant to be thrown from the motorcycle.

Police did not reveal precisely what injuries the person suffered.

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Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Motorcyclist dies in Jackson County crash

Seymour, IN (April 9, 2024) - A single-vehicle motorcycle accident in rural Jackson County, claimed the life of a Seymour man on Monday afternoon.
 


Indiana State Police investigators say the crash occurred at 3:45 p.m. when a chopper motorcycle operated by Timothy Kerkhof, 40, was southbound on County Road 700E, near County Road 725N.



Evidence indicates that Kerkhof lost control of his motorcycle while trying to navigate a sharp curve as he was turning onto County Road 725N and was ejected. He sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased by the Jackson County Coroner’s Office.



An Indiana State Police Crash reconstructionist was called to assist with the ongoing accident investigation.

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Thursday, April 4, 2024

Three deadly motorcycle crashes in four days

Indianapolis, IN (April 4, 2024) - J’son Lamont Rinehart, his fiancĂ©e Ashley Kincanon and their three-year-old daughter Aria left a relative's birthday party on March 23. They left Martinsville separately, with Kincanon stopping at a candy shop in downtown Martinsville and Rinehart continuing his ride home on his Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle. Because the trip was long, Kincanon checked Rinehart's location on her phone while she was at the candy shop. It was a habit she developed after her older sister died in a car crash in 2021.

Kincanon's phone showed that Rinehart was at the I-465 onramp from Interstate 69. But his location hadn’t moved in minutes. She knew something was wrong and headed that direction. As Kincanon arrived, she saw emergency vehicles and rushed up an embankment to find out what was going on. When EMTs told her Rinehart had died, she fell to her knees.
 


Rinehart's family is one of three suffering in the wake of fatal motorcycle crashes over four days recently. Fatal motorcycle crashes have risen 20% in the past decade based on 2020 data from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, according to Forbes Advisor. The families left reeling are asking drivers to be aware of their surroundings on the road and the risks riders face.

Rinehart was 23 years old. He worked at Hoosier Heroes as a handyman and had just started studying software development at Ivy Tech Community College the week of the crash. Indiana State Police said that he was driving “at a high rate of speed” before the crash based on preliminary investigations. It is unknown what exactly caused the motorcycle to go down.

Days of fatal motorcycle crashes
 
Roughly a day later, Jordan Farrell was riding his motorcycle when a pickup struck him at East Raymond Street and South Sherman Avenue. The 25-year-old died in the crash. The driver of the pickup left the scene. Michael Crowdus has been charged in connection with the crash for leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.

And in the early morning of March 26, officers found Brent Markey at the northeast corner of East 30th Street and Pawnee Drive after crashing his motorcycle. He was taken to Eskenazi Hospital but died shortly after arriving. It was William Markey, his older brother, who taught Brent how to ride a motorcycle in his early 20s. He said Brent, who was 49 years old at the time of the crash, found it difficult at first, but soon developed a love for it.

“The first experience, he got on there and hit the accelerator and it kind of shook him,” William Markey said. “I told him, ‘Just take your time and we’ll get you there.’” William said Brent Markey quickly took to riding and enjoyed hitting the road together. Brent was a member of the motorcycle club Naptown Riders with his brother.

Brent Markey was on his way home from his job at Interstate Delaware and South, a towing company, when the crash occurred, William said. Interstate Delaware & South and Naptown Riders will have light-up memorial services for Brent Markey this week. For William Markey, what he'll miss most is the way his brother interacted with his family. Brent was close with his granddaughter and would always stop at the gas station to buy drinks or snacks for her on his way home.

“He was just loving to everybody and had a big heart,” William Markey said. William said drivers should understand that motorcycle riders have less protection on the road than someone in a car. “When you’re on a motorcycle, you won’t have that stuff around you. There’s no seatbelt on a motorcycle,” he said. Riders must be more aware when they're on their bikes, but he wishes drivers also paid closer attention to the events around them. “Every time I pass by there it’s just going to remind me that’s where my brother’s final resting place was,” William Markey said. “I’ll never forget that.”

Bikersinc is an Indiana nonprofit organization that began in 2012 and focuses on community, motorcycle history and veterans' issues. Biker Down Indiana is a program of the organization that informs communities about motorcycle crashes throughout the state. The executive director of Bikersinc, J.D. Duggar, said the fatal crashes are tragic. He believes that drivers and motorcyclists need to be conscious of each other.

"If everyone's looking out for the other guy, then we're OK," Duggar said. "That's cars, that's trucks, that's motorcycles." He encourages motorcyclists to take a motorcycle rider course and then receive their motorcycle endorsement.

Kincanon said safety was important to Rinehart. The only time he did not wear his full riding gear was when he rode to the gas station near their home, she said. “He never, ever left his house without his helmet on,” Kincanon said. Kincanon urges everyone on the roads to take notice of motorcyclists and leave space.

The 22-year-old mother is also expecting twin girls, Stormi and Skye. Rinehart chose their names the day before the crash. She wants the twins to know how much their father loved them. According to most recent available data from the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, motorcyclists were 24 times more likely than those in passenger vehicles during a crash in 2021. The Indiana Department of Transportation advises drivers to pay special attention to motorcycles and to follow at least two seconds behind.

Learn more about how to share the road safely at INDOT: Safe Driving Tips.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 3 deadly motorcycle crashes in 4 days: Families reeling, urge safety



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