High-speed deaths: Fatal sport bike crash in Lee’s Summit adds to area death toll

A high-speed motorcyclist died early Saturday morning in Lee’s Summit when he hit a car that turned in front of him, continuing what has been a troubling trend of dangerous riding in the Kansas City area.

The motorcyclist, whose name has not yet been released, was traveling “at a high rate of speed” on Northeast Colbern Road at about 1:30 a.m. when a car turned left in front of him off the northbound exit ramp from Missouri 291, police said.

The initial investigation showed that the motorcyclist may have failed to yield to vehicles that were turning on a green light, police said. The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene.

The death is at least the fourth fatality involving a sport bike traveling at excessive speed in the Kansas City area since May.

The latest had been a fatal crash on Switzer Road in Overland Park when 21-year-old Alec Haith lost control of his motorcycle while racing on Switzer Road north of 131st Street in Overland Park June 18.

That death and the reaction of neighbors in the area prompted Overland Park to step up its enforcement against high-speed driving and racing, both among motorcycles and cars.

Previously, 37-year-old Peter Slusarczyk of Independence died June 16 when his motorcycle at high speed on U.S. 40 hit a turning vehicle off of the exit ramp from U.S. 70.

May 5, Jesse Swire died while apparently racing on Kansas City’s Coal Mine Road.

This story was originally published July 15, 2017 at 8:17 AM with the headline "High-speed deaths: Fatal sport bike crash in Lee’s Summit adds to area death toll."