At about 10:30 am Tuesday morning, the California Highway Patrol, Turlock Fire Department, and American Medical Response were dispatched to a reported vehicle collision with injuries northbound State Route 99 just south of Lander Avenue, Turlock.
When crews arrived on scene, they found a single vehicle involved, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, which was east of the freeway by a cornfield.
The motorcycle had a single rider, a 65 year old male of Twain Harte, who suffered major injuries which he succumbed to at the scene. His identity has yet to be released.
The motorcycle sustained major damage and was deemed inoperable as a result of the collision, requiring it to be towed away.
Officers began investigating, and the preliminary stages of their investigation indicate that the motorcyclist was traveling northbound in the middle lane of the freeway approaching Lander Avenue at an unknown speed, when for an unknown reason, he allowed his motorcycle to veer to the right. The motorcycle entered the right lane and then continued in a northeasterly direction as it eventually left the freeway. The motorcycle then entered a dirt and grass area before colliding with a barbed-wire fence, causing the motorcyclist to be ejected.
It’s currently unclear whether or not alcohol or drugs played a factor in this collision. The motorcyclist was wearing a helmet when the collision occurred.
The investigation remains on-going. Anyone with information that could assist in the investigation is encouraged to call California Highway Patrol Officer Dustin Jorrick at 209-545-7440.
