Motorcyclist from Alaska dies in crash with Kansas police SUV

Authorities have released the name of a 62-year-old man who died Friday after his motorcycle collided with a Kansas police vehicle.

An online crash report from the Kansas Highway Patrol identified the victim as Tommy Roe, of Anchorage, Alaska.

The crash happened at 5:53 p.m. in the westbound lanes of U.S. 24, also known as State Avenue, just west of North Village Terrace in Tonganoxie.

The report said a Tonganoxie police SUV and a 2018 Harley Davidson motorcycle were both traveling west when the officer turned on his emergency lights in an attempt to pull over an eastbound vehicle. The officer made a U-turn in front of the motorcycle, causing the motorcycle to hit the police vehicle, the report said.

Roe was thrown from his motorcycle. He was taken to a hospital for his injuries and was later pronounced dead.

The highway patrol identified the police officer as Nicholas Ontiveros, 33, of Lansing. He was not reported injured and was wearing a safety restraint at the time of the crash.

Roe was not wearing a helmet, the report noted.

Kansas Highway Patrol Lt. Adam Winters said Saturday the crash remained under investigation.

A GoFundMe page was created Saturday to help Roe’s family pay for funeral expenses.

Tesslyn Roe, one of Roe’s daughters, said her father had left Sturgis, South Dakota, and was on his way to the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia to visit his parents when he was killed.

As of Saturday night, the GoFundMe page raised more than $400 to go toward its $7,500 goal.

This story was originally published August 25, 2018 at 5:09 PM.