DEADWOOD, S.D. — Two Colorado residents died in a two-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 14A on Thursday evening.
The incident occurred at 6:27 p.m. on August 6, near mile marker 47, approximately four miles east of Deadwood. U.S. Highway 14A was closed for about three hours as emergency responders attended to the scene.
According to preliminary information, a 15-year-old female from Lead/Sturgis was driving a 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee westbound while Shawn Lee Rector, 59, of Frederick, Colorado, was riding a 2020 Harley Davidson Street Glide eastbound. Rector reportedly failed to negotiate a turn, crossed into the westbound lanes, and collided with the Jeep.
Both Rector and his passenger, 54-year-old Susan Renee Rector, also of Frederick, were not wearing helmets and sustained fatal injuries. The Jeep driver was unharmed and was wearing a seat belt. Kirk August Miller, 67, of Lead, suffered minor injuries, while passenger Tracy Hamilton Miller, 59, of Lead, was not injured. Authorities are investigating seat belt usage for both passengers.
The identity of the 15-year-old driver remains undisclosed. The South Dakota Highway Patrol is investigating the collision, and all information is preliminary.