Motorcyclist dies of injuries following Santa Cruz crash
A motorcyclist died of his injuries following a crash in Santa Cruz on Sunday afternoon, authorities said.
The California Highway Patrol said in a press release on Monday that the crash happened at about 4:45 p.m. on Empire Grade, north of Heller Drive near the University of California Santa Cruz campus.
According to the CHP, a 21-year-old man from Pescadero was riding a 1999 HarleyDavidson motorcycle heading north on Empire Grade and crashed into a 2025 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup truck towing a flatbed trailer, which was heading south on Empire Grade.
The speed of both vehicles was not immediately determined, and the cause of the crash was not known, the CHP said.
The motorcyclist suffered major injuries in the crash and was airlifted to Natividad Medical Center in Salinas, where he was later pronounced dead. The driver of the pickup truck was not injured, the CHP said.
It was not known if alcohol or drugs were factors in the collision, and the CHP said the Harley-Davidson rider was wearing a helmet, while the driver of the Dodge was wearing a seatbelt.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff-Coroner's Office withheld the victim's identity until his family was notified.