Man killed in Detroit crash is 3rd metro Detroit motorcycle fatality in a week
A fatal crash between a motorcycle and a car on the 18900 block of Morang Avenue was the third motorcycle-riding death in metro Detroit in a week, adding to the statistics that highlight two-wheeled vehicle risks.
Detroit police offered few details of the Wednesday evening crash, including how it happened.
"Motorcycle riders continue to be overrepresented in fatal traffic crashes," the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a motorcycle safety report, adding in 2022, the latest year the data was available, more than 15% of all traffic deaths were motorcyclists.
In that year, there were more than 6,200 motorcyclist deaths, the highest in nearly a half-century.
The federal agency did not speculate on why the number of deaths has been so high, but urged motorcyclists to share the road, be alert, wear clothing that makes them visible to other motorists, wear a helmet and "always ride sober."
A recent rash of traffic fatalities on metro Detroit freeways, including three — a 4-year-old boy, a 91-year-old man and a teen on a motorcycle — on Monday alone, led law enforcement to urge motorists to do one additional thing: slow down.
And Motorcycle Riders Foundation has long promoted May as motorcycle safety awareness month.
Wednesday's two-vehicle crash, police told the Free Press, occured at about 6:30 p.m. The motorcycle driver, a man, was pronounced dead before he could be taken to the hospital. The driver of the other vehicle, a woman, remained on the scene while authorities investigated the crash.
Police didn't offer more information about those involved, nor did they say whether alcohol, drugs or speeding were factors in the crash, whether the car driver was wearing a seatbelt or whether the motorcycle rider was wearing a helmet, which is recommended, but not legally required, in Michigan for riders 21 and older.
The crash, however, followed others, including one Monday, at about 11:20 p.m., in which a 19-year-old man died riding a motorcycle westbound in Interstate 94 near Merriman Road. He was going fast, state police said, riding alongside another motorcycle, and then lost control of the vehicle.
And last week, a 66-year-old man was killed in an Oxford Township motorcycle crash with a small car. The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said the Yamaha motorcycle was struck May 1 by a Toyota Corolla, which was turning onto Lapeer Road.
More: After 3 fatal crashes in 1 day, Michigan State Police urge motorists to 'be careful'
Safety officials acknowledged that motorcycling can be an adrenaline rush.
"If you ride a motorcycle, you already know how much fun riding can be. You understand the exhilaration of cruising the open road and the challenge of controlling a motorcycle," the federal safety agency said, then adding a warning that, if you don't heed, could cost you your life: "But motorcycling also can be dangerous."
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Motorcycle crashes lead to 3 deaths in metro Detroit in a week
