One Dead, Three Injured in Voluntown Dirt Bike Crash
VOLUNTOWN, Conn. (WTNH) — A collision involving a pickup truck and three dirt bikes in Voluntown, Connecticut, on Monday evening has left one person dead and three others injured, according to state police.
The crash occurred around 7:33 p.m. on Ekonk Hill Road, also known as Route 49. Authorities reported that a southbound grey 2011 Ford pickup truck collided with three dirt bikes: a blue Yamaha, a black Talaria TL4000, and a green Kawasaki KX250. A second Kawasaki dirt bike managed to avoid impact. The Ford continued southbound after the initial collision before coming to a complete stop.
Voluntown First Selectman Tracey Hanson (R-Voluntown) commented on the incident, noting that dirt bikes are required to have headlights and turn signals to be considered street legal. She expressed uncertainty regarding whether the bikes involved in the accident met these requirements. Hanson also expressed rising concerns as the weather warms up.
“[Monday] was perfect weather,” Hanson said. “It was the first day where it was warm, sunny, people were out. But we also had two big accidents in town.”
First Selectman Hanson hopes to see speed limits lowered by the Department of Transportation on the roads where accidents have occurred and urged dirt bike riders to prioritize safety and avoid roadways.
“There have been complaints in the past of kids doing like tricks in the road, going around drivers, like making people unsafe,” Hanson said.
Michael Alan Davis, 28, of Norwich, was transported to William W. Backus Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. One of the riders sustained serious injuries and was airlifted to Hartford Hospital via Life Star. Two other individuals were also hospitalized with injuries, though the extent of their injuries is currently unknown.
News 8 spoke with the father of one of the injured riders. He stated that his son and his friends were riding slowly along Route 49 because one of the bikes, an electric model, had a dead battery when the accident occurred.
Connecticut State Police are urging anyone who witnessed the crash or has any information related to the collision to contact Trooper Timothy Wengloski #1032 at 860-848-6500.
