Fatal Motorcycle Accident in Pine Raises Questions of Road Design

Pine, Arizona—A woman was killed as a result of a motorcycle accident on SR-87 near Nash Point and the driver sustained injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

According to police, the pair were on a Harley Davidson motorcycle that was southbound on SR-87 near milepost 273. As the motorcycle rounded a corner near the Nash Point pull of, the driver lost control of the bike. The motorcycle veered to the right and collided with the guardrail .

The unidentified woman was thrown from the motorcycle when it hit the guardrail. The driver kept the motorcycle upright until crashing into a field.

When emergency responders arrived at the scene of the accident, they found a woman in her thirties with severe chest injuries and already in cardiac arrest. The woman died on scene before she could be stabilized for transport. The driver of the motorcycle was taken to Banner Payson Medical Center in stable condition.

This is the second fatal motorcycle accident to occur at that curve. Chief Gary Morris of the Pine-Strawberry Fire Department wants the Arizona Department of Transportation to evaluate the safety of that stretch of roadway. Chief Morris noted that a portion of SR-87 just south of Nash Point had five motorcycle facilities in 2014. Following that string of crashes, ADOT put additional warning signs and there have been no fatalities since.

We offer our condolences to the family and friends of the woman killed in the accident and wish the driver a speedy and complete recovery.