Motorcycle rider dies in crash after Monroe officer backs off pursuit, police say

A motorcycle operator died after a crash shortly after police called off a pursuit in a residential neighborhood in Monroe, Michigan. 

The Monroe Police Department said an officer tried to do a traffic stop on a motorcycle at about 1 a.m. Sunday along Lincoln Avenue, when the motorcycle rider failed to signal a turn onto Lincoln Avenue. 

In response to the attempted traffic stop, the motorcycle rider sped northbound on Lincoln Avenue. Given the circumstances and department policy, police said they backed off the pursuit. 

Shortly afterward, police said the motorcyclist failed to negotiate a turn at the dead end of Lincoln Avenue at East Noble Avenue and crashed the bike. 

City of Monroe police officers, City of Monroe firefighters, and Monroe Community Ambulance all responded to the scene. The 41-year-old motorcyclist, who was not wearing a helmet, was seriously injured and later died at a local hospital. 

The City of Monroe Crash Reconstruction Team and Detective Bureau are assisting on the investigation.