HILL CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – Two people from Illinois died in a multiple-vehicle crash on Highway 385 near Hill City on Thursday afternoon.
The crash involved two motorcycles and a Toyota 4Runner. The motorcycles, a 1953 and a 1956 Harley Davidson, were traveling northbound when a vehicle passed the 4Runner, which was stopped to turn onto Wrinkle Valley Road. The motorcycles attempted to stop, resulting in a collision.
The 1956 Harley laid down, leaving the 72-year-old male rider with serious, non-life-threatening injuries. The 1953 Harley collided with the 4Runner, caught fire, and resulted in fatal injuries for the 69-year-old male driver and a 69-year-old female passenger. The 67-year-old female driver of the 4Runner and a 62-year-old passenger were not injured.
Highway 385 was closed for approximately four hours while emergency responders, including the South Dakota Highway Patrol, managed the scene. Authorities are withholding the names of the deceased until family notifications are complete.