RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – A motorcycle crash in Rapid Valley claimed the life of a 23-year-old rider on Thursday, bringing the total fatalities during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally to four.
According to authorities, the incident occurred around 4 p.m. on SD Highway 44 when the biker collided with a pickup truck that turned in front of him at Airport Road.
Earlier, a 28-year-old man, seriously injured during a police chase in Sturgis on Sunday, died from his injuries in a local hospital on Monday. The crash occurred when police attempted to stop the rider for exhibition riding near the Iron Horse Saloon, leading to a pursuit that ended on US Highway 14A.
On Thursday, nine injury accidents were reported, with the most severe on Interstate 90 near mile marker 135, where a rider was airlifted to Monument Hospital with life-threatening injuries after colliding with a pickup truck.
Since the start of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally last Friday, the South Dakota Highway Patrol has responded to 58 injury accidents, compared to 31 during the same period last year.
An investigation into the incidents is ongoing, with lane closures implemented at affected sites.
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