(Sturgis, SD) — More bikers than usual are rolling into Sturgis for the milestone year. South Dakota Department of Transportation says vehicle counts for the 85th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally are outpacing both last year and the five-year average. From Friday through Monday, nearly 250-thousand vehicles entered the city — up more than seven-percent from the usual count. Monday alone saw nearly 69-thousand vehicles, a 19-percent jump over the five-year average.
Also, with the increased traffic a deadly crash highlights the potential dangers during Rally Week in the Black Hills. South Dakota DPS says a 60-year-old man died Monday in a three-motorcycle crash on Highway 16-A near Custer. He was riding a Harley when he lost control on a sharp corner and slid into two oncoming bikes. His passenger was airlifted with life-threatening injuries, and the other two riders were seriously hurt. None of the four were wearing helmets.
This is the second fatal crash since Saturday, and injury crashes so far have nearly doubled compared to this time last year.