FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

CONTACT: Capt. Kevin Karley or Lt. Jason Ketterling 605-347-2685

Highway Patrol Sturgis Rally Daily Information, August 3, 2014

Below are the statistics as of 06:00 a.m. Sunday August 03, 2014

Injury Crashes:

A 2008 Dodge 3500 driven by Joseph Murphy, 29, of Wright, Wyo., was traveling eastbound down the Interstate 90 exit 30 off-ramp to make a left turn onto Lazelle St. A 2014 Indian Chieftain motorcycle driven by Steven McKenna, 53, of Deadwood, S.D. was stopped and attempting to make a left turn from the left turning lane onto Interstate 90 from Lazelle St. The Dodge driver turned too sharp then and struck the motorcycle with the front of his vehicle. The motorcycle driver was thrown and was transported by Sturgis Ambulance to Sturgis Regional Hospital with serious non-life threatening injuries. He was not wearing a helmet. The Dodge driver was wearing a seat belt, and was not injured. He was cited for illegal left turn. Alcohol and speed were not factors in this crash.

A 1989 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Charles Cunard, 63, of British Columbia, Canada, was traveling southbound on S.D. Highway 240. At mile marker two, the driver saw something and tapped his front brake. The brake locked up causing the motorcycle to skid and land on its right side while sliding into the north bound lane of the Highway. Cunard received minor injuries and was transported by Kadoka Ambulance to the Philip Hospital. He was cited for speeding.

A  2000 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Donald Huber, 49, of Alexandria, S.D., and passenger, Mrs. Janice Huber, 48, also from Alexandria, was traveling eastbound on U.S. Highway 16A (Iron Mtn. Road) near mile marker 48. The motorcycle failed to negotiate a left hand curve, ran off the roadway to the right and overturned onto its left side. Donald Huber received serious non-life threatening injuries. Janice Huber received minor injuries. With help, the Hubers picked up the motorcycle and rode the motorcycle into Keystone and called 911. They were transported by Keystone Ambulance to Rapid City Regional Hospital. There are no charges pending. They were not wearing helmets. Speed and alcohol were not factors in this crash.

A 2013 Ford F-150 driven by Adam Sautter, 31, of Sioux Fall, S.D., was northbound on Alkali Rd. Sautter stopped and waited for a tractor-trailer parked in the lane of Alkali Rd. to move. After waiting for some time, Mr. Sautter decided to pass the tractor-trailer.  As Sautter passed, a 1994 Ford Explorer driven by Chris Anda, 31, of Belle Fourche, S.D., also decided to pass and the two vehicles collided. The tractor-trailer left the scene. The passenger in the Ford Explorer, Leona Anda, 40, also from Belle Fourche, was treated on scene for a shoulder injury. There were no other injuries. Seatbelts were used by both drivers. No charges are pending.

A 2013 Victory motorcycle driven by Jay Darter, 41, of Paradise, Tex., was westbound on S.D. 34 when it passed across the center line into the path of a 2014 Hawk motorcycle driven by Chris Grogan, 39, from Woodward, Okla., Grogan had a passenger riding with him, Brigette Baird, 54 also from Woodward. The two motorcycles collided head on. A third motorcycle, a Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle driven by Christian Grogan of Woodward, collided with both motorcycles as the head on crash occurred. Chris Grogan received serious life threatening injuries and was Life Flighted to Rapid City Regional for immediate surgery. Baird and Christian Grogan received serious non-life threatening injuries. They were transported from Sturgis to Rapid City Regional Hospital. Jay Darter received serious non-life threatening injuries. He was treated at Sturgis Hospital and released. He was arrested for DUI and vehicular battery. Speed and driving on the wrong side of the road were factors in this crash. Helmets were not worn.

A 2003 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Lonny Smith, 52, of Fort Meade, S.D., was traveling westbound on Old Hill City Rd. Smith was traveling with a passenger, Roxanne Smith, 52, also from Fort Meade. He attempted to negotiate a left hand curve, when the front brake locked up and threw both driver and passenger off of the motorcycle. They received serious non-life threatening injuries and were transported to Rapid City Regional Hospital by Keystone Ambulance. They were wearing eye protection only. No charges are pending. 

A 2010 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by John Glidewell, 61, of St. Francis, Kan., and passenger Janae Zerr, 25, of Oak Grove, Ky., was traveling northbound on U.S. Highway 385 near mile marker 106. An unknown southbound motorcycle crossed the center line and collided with the 2010 Harley Davidson but did not stop. The driver and passenger of the Harley Davidson received minor injuries. The passenger was transported to Rapid City Regional with a possible broken leg. The unknown motorcycle and rider have not been located.

Other Noteworthy Events:

A Colorado plated vehicle was stopped for equipment violations. A search revealed over 1 ½ pounds of Marijuana and THC edibles. The subjects in the vehicle were arrested and charged accordingly. The vehicle was seized, and is pending forfeiture through the Attorney General’s Office.

A Colorado motorcycle was stopped for a vehicle violation. A search revealed about two grams of suspected methamphetamine, two glass pipes, one of which having a white powder residue. The passenger was arrested and transported to the Lawrence County Jail and will be charged accordingly. The motorcycle was not seized.

A Highway Patrol officer was notified of a power line down on U.S. Highway 14A, near mile marker 17 in the Spearfish Canyon. An unknown vehicle hit the Century Link phone cords that cross the highway which broke one of the two wires. It caused the top electrical wires to make contact and resulted in a shorting out of power. There were fiber optic lines hanging about five feet from the highway. When Century Link arrived the Highway was closed for approximately five minutes while the line was cut and pulled across the highway. It is unknown when the line will be repaired.