Motorcyclist dies after crashing into rocks at Death Valley National Park, rangers say

A motorcyclist died after crashing into an embankment in Death Valley National Park, rangers said.

The motorcyclist was traveling through the national park in California on Saturday, Jan. 8.

“While traveling approximately 65 mph, the motorcyclist caused or allowed his motorcycle to drift off the right hand of the roadway, causing him to lose control of the motorcycle,” park rangers said in a Jan. 10 news release.

The motorcycle, a 63-year-old man from Santa Ana, California, crashed into dirt and rocks. He was ejected from his bike after the crash.

Park officials arrived on the scene and took the motorcyclist to an airport in nearby Stovepipe Wells.

“While the party was being transported by Mercy Air helicopter to Las Vegas University Hospital, he succumbed to his injuries,” rangers said.

He was pronounced dead at a hospital in Nevada, officials said. Authorities did not identify the man.

The crash remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.

Death Valley is the largest national park in the continental U.S., according to the National Park Service. The desert park encompasses more than 3.4 million acres in California and Nevada and has nearly 1,000 miles of roads.

This story was originally published January 10, 2022 at 11:22 AM with the headline "Motorcyclist dies after crashing into rocks at Death Valley National Park, rangers say."