FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, Aug. 5, 2013

CONTACT: Lieutenant David Berkley at 605-394-2286

   Highway Patrol Sturgis Rally Daily Information

Below are the statistics thru 6 a.m. Monday, Aug. 5, 2013

Fatal Crashes:

A 2003 Harley Davidson FSI motorcycle driven by Dino Losole, 41, from Omaha, NE, was traveling north on S.D. Highway 87 mile marker 62, Needles Highway. Losole was traveling around a tight curve in the road and locked up his front brakes. As a result, he became separated from his motorcycle. A 2000 Yamaha XVs65 motorcycle driven by Darrell Smith, 47, from Rapid City, was traveling in the opposite direction at the time Losole was thrown from his motorcycle. Losole was struck by the other motorcycle and received fatal injuries. Smith was uninjured.

Injury Crashes:

A 1996 Harley Davison motorcycle driven by Robert Kazlauskas, 62, from Hickory Hills, IL, was traveling southbound on S.D. Highway 240 through Badlands National Park. About 15 miles south of Wall, Kazlauskas lost control of his motorcycle trying to avoid a herd of deer that entered the roadway. Kazlauskas and his wife, Sharon Kazlauskas, 60, were thrown from the motorcycle and sustained serious non-life threatening injuries. Both were transported to Rapid City Regional Hospital by the Wall Ambulance. Helmets were not worn. Speed and alcohol were not factors in the crash.

A westbound 2006 Chevy K2500 pickup, pulling a construction road sweeper driven by Casey Spiry, 20, of Mobridge, S.D., crashed on S.D. Highway 20, three miles west of Reva. A tire may have blown on the sweeper causing the driver to lose control of the pickup. The pickup entered the ditch and rolled. Spiry was not wearing his seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle as it rolled. He sustained serious but non-life threatening injuries. Speed and alcohol are not factors in this crash.

A 1985 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by William Berry, 57, of Medina, OH, was traveling north on U.S. Highway 16A, Iron Mountain Road, when the driver failed to negotiate a curve in the  roadway. The vehicle crossed over the center line and off the west side of the road. The driver was thrown from the motorcycle and sustained serious non-life threatening injuries. Speed and alcohol were not factors in the crash. The driver was not wearing a helmet

A 2013 Honda Goldwing motorcycle driven by Bruce Bennett, 46, from Grand Island, NE, was traveling west on Nemo Rd when a deer ran out of the ditch. The motorcycle struck the deer causing both Bennett and his passenger, Sonja Brockman, 46, also from Grand Island, to be thrown from the motorcycle. Both received serious non-life threatening injuries. Speed and alcohol were not factors. Both subjects were not wearing helmets.

A 2005 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Walter Plesniak, 65, from Orland Park, IL, was traveling east on I-90 when he was hit from behind by a 2001 Jeep Cherokee driven by James Bowling, 21, from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.  Both vehicles spun off the road. Plesniak received serious life threatening injuries and was not wearing a helmet. Plesniak was transported to Rapid City Regional Hospital. Bowling received minor injuries and was treated and released from Rapid City Regional Hospital.

Stuart Shuler, 66, from Beaver Creek OH, was northbound on S.D. Highway 87, Needles Highway, on a 1999 Honda motorcycle. Shuler failed to negotiate a right hand curve, crossed the centerline, and struck a 2012 Harley Davidson driven by Joseph Yonan, 55, and his passenger, Donna Yonan, 52, of Cypress TX, southbound on Highway 87. Shuler also struck a 2013 Harley Davidson driven by Allan Jones, 63, of Cypress TX, also southbound on Highway 87. Joseph and Donna Yonan suffered serious non-life threatening injuries and were taken to Custer Regional Hospital by ambulance. Shuler and Jones received minor injuries. Alcohol and speed were not factors. Shuler was cited for driving on the wrong side of the road.

A 2004 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by William Werner, 58, of Appleton WI, was southbound on Norris Peak Road, and failed to negotiate a left hand turn and laid the bike down. He was taken to Rapid City Regional Hospital with minor injuries. He was wearing helmet.

Heather Trebesch, 22, of Pierre, S.D., was northbound on Deadwood Avenue on a rented 2013 Harley Davidson, when she failed to negotiate a curve and laid the bike down in the ditch. She was wearing a helmet and eye protection and suffered minor injuries. She treated for injuries at the scene.

A 2010 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Kevin Keogh, 44, from Medina OH, was traveling south on 132nd Ave near the Buffalo Chip Campground, when he failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway. The motorcycle traveled into the west ditch colliding with a sign, and continued through the ditch traveling through a barb wire fence coming to final rest on the edge of the field. Keogh received serious non-life threatening injuries and the passenger, Miranda Greseth, 24, from Rapid City, received minor injuries. No helmets were used and alcohol was a factor in the crash.

Troopers were investigating an injury accident on I-90 near mile marker 62 in Rapid City, when Alexandra Montgomery, 22, from Box Elder, S.D., driving a 2006 Pontiac SUV eastbound on the I-90 service road stopped adjacent to the crash scene to take a photo of the crash. The Pontiac was parked illegally on the roadway with no flashers activated. Megan Baker, 22, Box Elder, was also driving eastbound on the service road in a 2006 Ford Taurus when she looked at the crash scene and rear-ended the Pontiac. The Pontiac driver received minor injuries and was transported to Rapid City Regional Hospital. Both vehicles received disabling damage. Alcohol was not a factor.

A 2002 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Jason Oefstedahl, 42, from Lacrescent, MN, was southbound on the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park The rider attempted to pass a motor home and was met by a northbound pickup. Oefstedahl locked the brakes, laid the motorcycle down on its side and slid off the roadway to the left and rolled one time. Both the driver and female passenger, Jennifer Oefstedahl, 39, also from Lacrescent, MN, became separated from the motorcycle. The driver and passenger received minor injuries.

A 2003 Harley Davidson Sportster motorcycle driven by Steve Hansen, 58, from Oakland, IA, was traveling southbound on U.S. Highway 385 along with several other motorcycles when traffic slowed due to a vehicle and boat making a left turn on Sheridan Lake Road. Hansen locked his brakes causing the motorcycle to skid and go down on its side. The passenger, Ann Vorthmann, 58, also from Oakland, IA, fell from the motorcycle and sustained minor injuries. She was treated at Rapid City Regional Hospital. The driver sustained minor injuries, was treated at the scene, and rode his motorcycle from the scene.

Other Noteworthy Events:

Tyler Brown, 26, and Karly Murphy, 23, both of Rapid City, were stopped for a traffic violation on U. S. Highway 18 mile marker 10 near Edgemont, S.D. During the stop numerous indicators of criminal activity were observed. A Police Service Dog was deployed around the exterior of the vehicle. A search revealed 1.5 pounds of marijuana in the vehicle. Both subjects were charged accordingly and were booked into Fall River County Jail in Hot Springs.

A 2005 Ford F150 pickup driven by Holly Taylor, 40, from Las Vegas, NV, was stopped for an equipment violation on I-90 mile marker 21 near Whitewood, S.D. Numerous indicators of criminal activity were observed and the driver indicated she had marijuana and mushroom. Taylor was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Troopers were dispatched to help the Whitewood Police Department with a disturbance and aggravated assault on an officer call. Travis Longfox, 22, from Onida, S.D., was causing a disturbance in the Whitewood Family Restaurant. The subject was contacted by the Whitewood Police Department and fled on foot. An officer attempted to grab the subject and in the process the subject swung at the officer. Several units were coordinated to make a perimeter around the subjects last known location. A Police Service Dog was deployed in an attempted track of the subjects last known location. The track and patrol route were unsuccessful. The Division of Criminal Investigation was called to the scene and is continuing the investigation. Later, officers were advised the suspect was calling his girlfriend from a phone number that was identified as the saw mill in Whitewood. A search of the building was conducted with a Police Service Dog. No suspect was located. It was discovered that one of the pickups parked near the office earlier was missing and a gate was broke down. A state case has been put out on the pickup and Longfox.

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