Motorcycle fatalities — Two wrecks claim three lives
Two motorcycle wrecks in the region claimed the lives of three people last week, including a Newcastle resident.
The first wreck occurred on June 16 at the intersection of Junction Avenue and Exit 32, I-90 westbound ramp in Sturgis, according to information from the South Dakota Department of Public Safety.
The report says that Heather Lynn Clifton, a 60-year old female from Newcastle, was riding her 2015 Harley Davidson motorcycle, while wearing a helmet, when she sustained life-threatening injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital. She died two days later on June 18.
“Preliminary crash information indicates Heather Lynne Clifton, the driver of a 2015 Harley Davidson motorcycle was traveling west on Interstate 90 on the Exit 32 off-ramp near its intersection with Junction Avenue,” the report says. “A Ford Taurus driven by Leatrice C. Edwards was traveling north on Junction Avenue near the off-ramp. As the motorcycle entered the intersection, it collided with the Taurus, and the rider became separated from the motorcycle.”
Edwards, a 96-year-old female from Sturgis, was not injured.
The wreck, the report says, is still under investigation by the South Dakota Highway Patrol and all information released at this time is preliminary.
The second wreck occurred on June 18, claiming the lives of both Ricky Lynch, a 74-year-old male from Gillette, and Steve Layman, a 68-year-old male, also from Gillette, according to a June 19 release from the Wyoming Highway Patrol. Both men succumbed to their injuries at the scene.
“On June 18, 2025, at approximately 8:10 AM, Wyoming State Troopers were informed of a crash at mile marker 54 on Wyoming State Highway 450,” the report says. “A 2007 Honda Goldwing motorcycle and a 2009 BMW motorcycle were traveling Eastbound. A westbound Chevrolet Silverado 3500 flatbed pickup entered the motorcyclists’ lane of travel, striking both in a head-on collision.”
Driver fatigue is being investigated as the cause of the incident. The report notes that weather conditions were clear and the road was dry at the time of the crash.
According to the report, “charges are pending per the completion of the investigation.”