BISMARCK, ND — A Bismarck man was killed and a passenger suffered serious injuries after a motorcycle crash east of the city Friday evening, according to the North Dakota Highway Patrol.
The rider was a 64-year-old man from Bismarck. Troopers said he died at the scene after the motorcycle went off the road and overturned. The passenger, a 29-year-old Bismarck woman, was taken to a hospital in Bismarck with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Authorities said neither person was wearing a helmet. The crash remains under investigation.
How troopers say the motorcycle left the road
The Highway Patrol said the motorcycle was traveling north on 119th St. NE, just south of old Highway 10, when the rider failed to navigate a curve. Investigators say the motorcycle left the roadway, then returned to the road before overturning.
After the bike flipped, it slid into a ditch. Troopers said the rider died where the crash happened. The agency has not said whether any other vehicles were involved.
Details such as the exact time of the crash were not included in the initial update, but troopers identified it as a Friday evening wreck east of Bismarck.
Passenger taken to hospital with serious injuries
The passenger on the motorcycle was a 29-year-old woman from Bismarck, according to the Highway Patrol. She was described as having serious injuries, though officials said they were not considered life-threatening.
She was transported to a hospital in Bismarck for treatment. Authorities did not release additional information about her condition beyond the initial assessment.
Because the crash involved only the motorcycle as described by investigators, the focus now appears to be on how the rider lost control on the curve and what factors contributed to the wreck.
Helmet use was absent in the fatal wreck
Troopers said both people on the motorcycle were not wearing helmets at the time of the crash. The Highway Patrol did not say whether that detail affected the severity of the injuries, but helmet use is often a major factor in motorcycle crashes.
Even without further conclusions, the information adds another layer to the investigation as officials review what happened on the rural roadway east of the city. The patrol has not announced any citations or charges.
For now, the case is being treated as an active traffic fatality investigation by state authorities.
A familiar stretch of rural road outside Bismarck
The crash happened on 119th St. NE near old Highway 10, a location just outside Bismarck in a more rural part of the area. That stretch of road includes a curve where investigators say the motorcycle failed to stay on the roadway.
Rural roads can pose challenges for motorcyclists because of curves, narrow shoulders and changes in pavement or visibility. In this case, troopers have only said the motorcycle struck a curve, left the road and overturned before ending up in the ditch.
No weather or road-condition concerns were included in the Highway Patrol’s initial account.
What investigators are still trying to determine
The North Dakota Highway Patrol is continuing to investigate the crash. Officials have not yet released a final cause, and they have not said whether speed, alcohol or other factors played any role.
For now, investigators have confirmed the sequence of events they believe led to the fatal wreck: the motorcycle traveled north, missed the curve, left the road, returned briefly, overturned and slid into the ditch. The rider died at the scene, while the passenger survived with serious injuries.
Further updates would likely depend on the patrol’s completed investigation and any additional findings from the crash scene.