Laurel motorcycle crash leaves one woman dead

The Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit continues to investigate a motor vehicle crash, which left one woman dead in Laurel. 

Police say the crash happened around 9:19 p.m. on Saturday, July 15, 2017, as a 52-year-old woman was riding her bike and was attempting to travel in a westbound direction across the northbound lanes of US Rt. 13 (Sussex Highway) just north of SR 24 (Laurel Road).

As the bicyclist began to cross the roadway just south of the intersection, police state she entered directly into the path of a 1981 Honda motorcycle, driven by a 63-year-old Bridgeville, DE man.

According to police, the front of the motorcycle then struck the bicyclist throwing her into the roadway just north of the intersection where she came to rest.

The motorcycle, as well as the male operator, slid off of the roadway and into the grass median where they both came to rest.

DSP syas the bicyclist, who was wearing dark clothing and was not operating a bike equipped with a light, was removed from the scene by ambulance and transported to the Nanticoke Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

The victim's name is being withheld pending the notification of her next of kin. It is unknown if alcohol or drug use on the part of the victim was a factor in the crash.

The male operator of the motorcycle was also removed from the scene and transported by ambulance to the Nanticoke Memorial Hospital, where he was treated for his non-life threatening injuries. Neither alcohol or drug use on the part of the motorcyclist is being considered as a factor in the crash.

The investigation has determined that the traffic signal for northbound traffic on Sussex Highway was green at the time of the crash.

This crash remains under investigation by the Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit.