Pontiac motorcyclist dies in crash after fleeing police in pursuit
A motorcyclist died after crashing his bike while fleeing a police officer in Pontiac on Monday night, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
The pursuit began after a deputy observed a yellow 2004 Suzuki GSX600 driven by the 36-year-old Pontiac man speeding southbound on North Cass Avenue and noticed that the motorcycle did not have a license plate, the sheriff's office said.
The deputy activated the overhead lights and siren to conduct a traffic stop, and the motorcycle turned west onto Elizabeth Lake Road at a high speed and then northbound on North Telegraph Road, eventually getting away from the deputy, who terminated the pursuit, according to the sheriff's office statement.
Another deputy, who was stopped at a traffic signal on County Center Drive West, about a mile north of where the chase had ended, saw the motorcycle speeding north on Telegraph. After driving through the intersection, the motorcycle drove left of center and hit a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee, whose driver attempted to turn right and avoid the collision, the sheriff's office said.
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The motorcyclist was thrown from the bike and taken to McLaren-Oakland Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the sheriff's office. He was wearing a helmet. The sheriff's office said the victim did not have a motorcycle endorsment and had a suspended license.
The driver of the Jeep, a 28-year-old woman from West Bloomfield, was not injured, the sheriff's office said. The motorcycle hit the Jeep's driver's side door and ripped it from the vehicle.
The sheriff's office said the crash is under investigation and that toxicology reports are pending. The medical examiner's office has custody of the body and an autopsy has been scheduled, according to the sheriff's office.
Contact Hasan Dudar at hdudar@freepress.com.