Sturgis Motorcycle Rally sees two fatal crashes

South Dakota public safety officials say there have been two fatal crashes so far at the 85th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which started Friday and runs through Sunday.

From 6 a.m. local time Saturday through 6 a.m. Tuesday, people associated with the rally got into nine non-injurious accidents in Sturgis or near Rapid City, South Dakota, and 35 crashes that resulted in injuries. Two of the crashes, both occurring in the Rapid City District, were fatal, the South Dakota Department of Public Safety said.

The first fatal crash happened Saturday morning, when a 58-year-old man driving westbound on a motorcycle on U.S. Highway 16 tipped over when trying to go through a curve in the road. His motorcycle slid into the eastbound lanes and hit three other motorcycles, killing the 58-year-old man who was not named by South Dakota officials. The other three motorists were seriously hurt, but are expected to survive. Investigators were trying to figure out whether the four involved were wearing helmets. There were 18 crashes alone between Saturday and Sunday, according to KELO-TV of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The second fatal crash also happened on U.S. 16. On Monday afternoon, a 60-year-old man driving westbound tried to navigate a sharp corner when his motorcycle scraped the roadway and he slid out. The motorcycle crossed the center line into the eastbound lanes and collided with two other motorcycles and went into a ditch. The 60-year-old man died of his injuries, his female passenger suffered life-threatening injuries and was airlifted for treatment. The other two drivers were also transported to a hospital for treatment.

None of the four people involved in Monday’s crash were wearing helmets, South Dakota officials detailed. The South Dakota Department of Public Safety did not name either of the two deceased or any of the people injured in the two fatal crashes.

In addition to the crashes, as of Tuesday morning South Dakota authorities have arrested 53 people for driving under the influence, 102 people for misdemeanor drug offenses, and 46 for felony drug offenses in association with the rally.

Overall traffic is up this year for the 85th rally. From Friday through Monday, 247,901 vehicles entered Sturgis for the first four days of the rally, up 10.5% compared to the average between 2020 and 2024, according to the South Dakota Department of Transportation data.