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Fatalities up, total crashes down at Sturgis

The number of fatal crashes and DUI arrests were up during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, but the total number of crashes, felony arrests and citations were down.

Through Sunday, Aug. 12, nine people had died as a result of crashes near the Sturgis rally. The ninth person to die was Sheila Coleman, 43, of Oakes, N.D., who passed away Saturday following a Friday crash in which she lost control of her motorcycle and struck a pickup. The driver of the pickup was uninjured. Coleman wasn’t wearing a helmet. Last year, four fatalities were reported.

Though the number of fatal accidents more than doubled to nine this year, the total number of crashes dropped 16.7 percent to 108. Injury crashes decreased the most, down 60 percent to 50 this year.

During the rally, 251 DUI arrests were made, an increase over the 235 reported last year. However, felony arrests and citations were both down. Thirty-six felony arrests were made, with all but two coming from drug-related offenses. In 2011, 52 felony arrests were made. This year 1,189 citations were issued, down from 1,267 the year before.

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9 Comments

  1. Gee, let’s mix unskilled riders with Booze
    and not be surprised by rider fatalities!

    I’d like to see a comparison stat’s between the Sturgis and the Moto GP attendance at Laguna vs accidents and fatalities.

    I’ve taught rider safety classes for the last 30 years for all levels both street and off road and raced successfully (with out a single broken bone) for over 40 years..

    But it never fails to amaze me at the ATTITUDE of self preservation differences between mostly V twin riders who THINK(?) they are beyond the need for skill development and the rest of the riding public, who has got a clue……..

    THAT BOOZE AND BIKES IS A FATAL MIX.

    And that, Oh by the way, that maybe they were not born with “predisposed DNA ” of bike riding skills.

    Is it really such an bother to take 1 or 2 whole days out of your entire lifetime to take a class, and learn the right way to ride a bike….

    Or is your EGO AND STUPIDITY BEYOND your OWN
    SELF PRESERVATION?

    The general public call them organ donors, murdercycles and worse.

    I just call it stupid arrogance of those riders part.

    Like the comedian said……Can’t Fix Stupid…….

    Unless YOU want to !

    Signed disgusted!

  2. Did I forgot to mention…..
    That dead riders like the situations mentioned in the article above,

    are unlikely to be repeat customers, now are they?

    Now THAT’S bad for your business!

    Perhaps business owners in our industry might contemplate that fact,

    And develop a more effective proactive business survival plan than what we have in place now to keep our customers,
    the very core of our businesses……coming back.

  3. One more factorL fixing Stupid is not possible; but wearing a helmet is. MI has decided that motorcyclists do not need to wear a helmet when riding. That of course, will boost our auto insurance premium for catastrphic injuries to catastrophic premiums, which is already better than half our premium per vehicle. No common sense in this state whatsoever…

  4. Cold beer signs every where, attitudes every where..I’m cooler than you every where.

    Hurry hurry hurry, let’s see how fast we can ride and still stay on the road..

    STAY AWAY FROM THE CENTER LINE Folks!!

    Stephen, I’m sorry guy, it’s not just V Twin riders. Education will not be remembered after a few beers and slipping into the costumes some of these “riders” wear…it is plain and simple, lack of common sense and total disregard for anyone else’s safety.

  5. I am always taken aback with those of you who have been indoctrinated by government on how you are protected while wearing a helmet–NOT!

    Are you aware that helmets only protect you to thirteen and a half miles per hour? When was the last time that you traveled at that speed?

    1. I’ve been riding motorcycles fifty some odd years, and while I own several helmets I very seldom wear either of them. The last time I wore my dome cover and the only reason I had it to begin w/ was because it was cloudy and it started to snow later in the evening. I’ve been in one accident, because a lady cut into my lane w/o leaving me a window and I hit the side of the vehicle, I wasn’t wearing a helmet, scraped the shoulder of my jacket. I carry full insurance coverage, and it’s my head, thank you very much.

  6. Here we go….again…..

    Through Sunday, Aug. 12….
    9 people had died as a result of crashes near the Sturgis rally.
    The ninth person to die was Sheila Coleman, 43, who lost control of her motorcycle and struck a pickup. Coleman wasn’t wearing a helmet.

    The number of fatal accidents more than doubled to nine this year,
    The total number of crashes 108. Injury crashes, 50 this year.

    During the rally,
    251 DUI arrests were made,

    36 felony arrests were made,
    with all but two coming from drug-related offenses.

    This year 1,189 citations were issued.

    What a bad Joke this all is….

    Like this huge collection of idiots!
    The perfect recipe for dead and injured riders.
    They can’t even do basic things like ride around a corner, or use brakes.

    But the dealers are all glad to keep cashing those buyers checks!
    No brains and no balls to do what’s right even to protect their own future income…..just keep grabbing that money….

    Until it’s all gone away.

    Thanks,
    Thanks a lot….

    MORONS……..

    I’m proud NOT to be a “moron cycle rider”….like these fools.

    Just a responsible motorcyclist….

  7. I attended the 2015 Sturgis Rally.
    Last year in Nebraska we lost 225 souls to all MV crashes, that is 4.33 people die each week in NE or .0000023 of the population.

    This year in Sturgis it is .0000082 of the participant population.
    We all need to be safe and practice 360 degree situational awareness at all times, as well as not being under the influence.

    The vast majority of riders I encountered were very respectful and the statistics show this fact. Be safe, Dan “Z”

  8. Everyone knows the best way, even Non-Riders. Until you are there and have rode and had fun, KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO YOURSELF !!!

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