Stoughton man killed in motorcycle crash

A Sunday afternoon crash on the east side of Madison claimed the life of a 20-year old motorcyclist. According to an article by Channel 3000, the man was from Stoughton. “Madison Fire Department spokesperson Cynthia Schuster said crews were dispatched to the intersection of Cottage Grove Road and Acewood Boulevard at 1:26 p.m. for a report […]

A Sunday afternoon crash on the east side of Madison claimed the life of a 20-year old motorcyclist. According to an article by Channel 3000, the man was from Stoughton.

“Madison Fire Department spokesperson Cynthia Schuster said crews were dispatched to the intersection of Cottage Grove Road and Acewood Boulevard at 1:26 p.m. for a report of a vehicle versus motorcycle crash,” the article reads.

Investigators told the news station that a 51-year-old Madison man was driving a vehicle east on Cottage Grove Road and when he attempted to make a left turn onto Acewood Boulevard, the 20-year-old motorcyclist struck the passenger side of the vehicle.

“The motorcyclist was taken to UW Hospital with traumatic injuries and later died from them,” the article reads.

A female who was a passenger in the vehicle was also injured as a result of the crash and she was transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

No other details about the incident were released, including the names of those involved or whether or not the driver of the vehicle is potentially facing charges in connection to the crash.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

The Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal-Sentinel published an article in 2015 showing that state records reported fatal motorcycle crashes were up 15 percent compared to the year before.

“There have been 39 motorcyclist fatalities in the first six months of the year, up from 34 for the same period in 2014. If the pattern holds, state officials say, this could be the deadliest year for motorcycle crashes since 2012, when 44 people were killed in the first six months of the year and 112 died in the 12-month period.”

The numbers had fallen to 83 deaths in 2013 and 67 in 2014.

Between 2009 and 2013, an average of 2,376 motorcycle crashes were reported to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, an average of 91 motorcyclists died each year, and an average of 2,161 motorcyclists were injured on Wisconsin roads.

Operating a motorcycle takes different skills than driving a car; however, the laws of the road apply to every driver just the same, according to Geico. A combination of consistent education, regard for traffic laws and basic common sense can go a long way in helping reduce the amount of fatalities involved in motorcycle accidents on a yearly basis.

Geico released a list of tips for motorcycle safety including: