Police: 1 Dead, 1 Hurt In Maple Grove Motorcycle Crash
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A man is dead and a woman is in the hospital after a motorcycle accident early Tuesday morning in Maple Grove, according to police.
Authorities were called to the 9100 block of Upland Lane North at about 3 a.m. Tuesday on a report of a motorcycle accident. When police arrived, they learned that a motorcycle had left the road and hit a mailbox among several things.
Police said a 21-year-old man on the motorcycle, likely the driver, was pronounced dead at the scene. A 19-year-old female passenger was taken to North Memorial Medical Center, and there has been no update on her condition.
Police haven't said if either of them was wearing helmets at the time of the crash, and they're still investigating what led up to the accident. Their identities have not been released.
The Minnesota State Patrol said so far this year, 42 riders have died in motorcycle accidents. That's up from the 21 deaths this time last year. In fact, last month was been the second deadliest for motorcycle fatalities in the last 15 years.
"We're seeing a lot of these crashes, over half of them, only involving a motorcycle," said Lt. Eric Roeske with the Minnesota State Patrol. "So that leads us to believe it's rider error, inexperience or a combination thereof. It's incredibly important that riders receive proper training when taking up motorcycling as a hobby. And even if you're an experienced rider, it's important to brush up on those skills by taking a safety course.
Officials said last year, motorcycle deaths made up 14 percent of the deaths on the road so that number will be higher this year. Roeske said a majority of the time the fault is with the motorcyclist.
