Two deaths, fewer citations mark third official day of Sturgis bike rally

Two people died in motorcycle crashes on the third official day of the Sturgis rally.

The rally’s first fatality took place before 10 a.m. Sunday just southeast of Sturgis on Interstate 90, when the rider of a 2021 Harley Davidson motorcycle braked unexpectedly, causing a van to rear-end the bike. Another motorcycle with a sidecar was unable to avoid the wreck and also crashed. A third motorcycle also struck the wreckage.

The 54-year old female passenger of the second motorcycle was pronounced dead on the scene, according to a news release from DPS spokesman Steve Long. Everyone else involved sustained serious non-life-threatening and minor injuries.

The second death on Sunday came a few hours later on Highway 14A southwest of Sturgis, when the 41-year-old male rider of a 2007 Harley Davidson missed a curve, skidding into then tumbling in the north ditch. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The news release from Long also included a snapshot of arrest totals from 6 a.m. Saturday through 6 a.m. Monday.

Lower-level drug arrests and accidents are trending up in the rally’s early days, while drunken driving and total criminal citations are trending down.

A news release noted 13 more “miscellaneous drug arrests” and 11 more accidents than at this point in the rally last year.

Total DUI arrests are down slightly, meanwhile, and felony drug arrests are down two from last year’s pace. Total citations and warnings are also down from last year.

In addition to the two deaths recorded on Sunday, three other bikers died in western South Dakota on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday last week. The rally officially kicked off on Friday.