The South Dakota Highway Patrol reports two people died in separate crashes as law enforcement release their first rally report of the year.
The patrol says the first accident happened Saturday afternoon when a motorcyclist failed to negotiate a curve while traveling on U.S. Highway 85.
The motorcycle went off the road, into the west ditch and through the fence. The driver, who was not wearing a helmet, was thrown from the motorcycle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The other accident happened on Maitland Road Saturday night. The patrol says a side-by-side UTV was traveling westbound when the driver failed to negotiate a curve and the vehicle rolled onto the passenger side. The male driver, 53, died en route to the hospital. The male passenger, 51, suffered serious non-life threatening injuries. Both were wearing seatbelts, but not helmets.
The accident happened about three miles east of Deadwood.
As for injury accidents, the patrol responded to six over the past 24 hours. That is right in line with last year. Non-injury crashes, however are up. The patrol reported 11 compared to 6 at this time last year.
D-U-I arrests are down. District-wide, there were 19 as of Saturday — down from 28 last year. Drug arrests are up. Misdemeanor drug arrests totaled 30 compared to 14 last year and felony drug arrests are 8, compared to 2 at this time last year.
Total citations are lower than last year — 136 compared to 160 last year.
(KBHB)