Mankato, MN – The Minnesota State Patrol is investigating a fatal motorcycle crash that occurred this morning on Highway 60, approximately six miles west of Mankato.
At 9:56 a.m., two motorcycles traveling westbound collided on the south-curving section of the highway. The crash resulted in the death of one rider.
Authorities identified the deceased motorcyclist as 81-year-old Nancy Beck of Dandridge, Tennessee. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The other motorcyclist, 63-year-old Joyce Oliphant of Plano, Texas, was unharmed.
Both riders were wearing helmets at the time of the collision, and authorities confirmed that alcohol was not a factor in the crash.
In a separate incident, the State Patrol also reported a motorcycle crash in Winona on Monday afternoon. At 4:30 p.m., 63-year-old Gary Haines of Watertown, Wisconsin, was riding north on Highway 43 when his motorcycle collided with an SUV traveling south on Highway 61.
Haines was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He was also wearing a helmet, and alcohol did not play a role in that crash. The SUV driver, a 56-year-old woman from Viroqua, Wisconsin, was uninjured.
Both incidents remain under investigation.