BISMARCK, ND — The North Dakota Highway Patrol has identified the two people killed in a motorcycle crash east of Bismarck on Friday evening. The agency said 64-year-old Laura Folmer of Bismarck was driving the motorcycle north on Highway 1804 when it went off the road and overturned in a ditch.
Folmer died at the scene. Her passenger, 68-year-old David Folmer of Bismarck, suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to Sanford Health in Bismarck. The patrol said the crash remains under investigation, and it has not said why the motorcycle left the roadway.
How the crash unfolded on Highway 1804
According to the patrol, the wreck happened about a quarter mile south of Old Highway 10, on a curve in the road roughly east of Bismarck. Laura Folmer was traveling north when the motorcycle failed to negotiate the curve, left the pavement and overturned in the ditch.
The crash took place Friday evening around 5:20 p.m. The patrol said the motorcycle was heading north on Highway 1804 at the time of the wreck. No other vehicles were reported as part of the incident, and investigators have not released additional details about speed, road conditions or possible contributing factors.
The victims were taken to local hospital care
David Folmer was the only passenger on the motorcycle. The highway patrol said he was seriously injured, but his wounds were not considered life-threatening. Emergency responders transported him to Sanford Health in Bismarck for treatment.
Laura Folmer, the driver, did not survive the crash. The patrol identified both people in the motorcycle and confirmed their hometown as Bismarck. Their names were released the day after the wreck, as investigators continued to piece together what happened on the curve east of the city.
Highway 1804 crash site sits east of the city
Highway 1804 runs along the Missouri River corridor east of Bismarck and is a route that can include curves and stretches with limited margin for error. The patrol said the motorcycle left the road on one of those curves before overturning in the ditch.
While the agency has not described the road surface or visibility at the time, the location is close enough to the city that emergency crews were able to respond quickly. The incident adds to the toll of serious traffic crashes in the Bismarck area this year, though officials have not linked it to any broader pattern.
What investigators have said so far
The North Dakota Highway Patrol is leading the investigation. So far, it has confirmed the time, location and identities of the people involved, but it has not announced whether any citations are expected or whether impairment, mechanical trouble or roadway conditions may have played a role.
That leaves several questions unanswered, including exactly why the motorcycle left the road and overturned. For now, the patrol’s findings indicate only that the motorcycle was northbound, failed to make the curve and crashed in the ditch south of Old Highway 10.
Another deadly wreck in the Bismarck area raises safety concerns
The fatal motorcycle crash comes amid a series of recent serious traffic incidents in the Bismarck region that have kept local law enforcement and families on alert. Officials have not said whether this wreck is part of any larger spike in crashes, but the outcome was severe despite occurring on a roadway close to the city.
Motorcycle crashes can be especially dangerous because riders have little protection once a bike leaves the roadway. In this case, one person died at the scene and another was hospitalized, underscoring how quickly a routine trip can turn deadly when a motorcycle goes off course on a curve.
What the public should know about the case now
The patrol’s identification of Laura and David Folmer provides the first clear account of who was involved in the wreck. Authorities have said the investigation remains open, and they have not released a timeline for any further update.
For now, the confirmed facts are limited to the location, the time and the outcome: a motorcycle crash on Highway 1804 east of Bismarck left one woman dead and her passenger seriously injured. Additional details will depend on what investigators determine from the scene, witness accounts and any mechanical or roadway findings.