Des Moines, Iowa: Two Motorcycle Crashes on Same Stretch of University Avenue Leave One Dead, One Critical

Two crashes involving motorcycles on the same short stretch of East University Avenue in Des Moines, Iowa, have left one rider dead and a second in critical condition, and police say the two wrecks followed a similar pattern days apart.

The first crash happened on Saturday, October 17, on East University Avenue between East 25th Street and East 26th Street, according to Des Moines police spokesperson Sgt. Paul Parizek. The motorcyclist was declared dead at the scene. Police later identified him as Luke Miller, 25. Parizek said Miller was not wearing a helmet.

A second crash near a memorial

On Wednesday night, October 21, a second crash involving a motorcycle happened near the intersection of East University Avenue and East 25th Street, close to where people had gathered for a memorial for Miller. The rider, a 24 year old woman whose name police have not released, was critically injured and is hospitalized at MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center. Parizek said the woman was wearing a helmet.

Hundreds of people had gathered earlier for a vigil honoring Miller, KCCI reported. His family identified him publicly while police continued their investigation into the Saturday crash.

What police say the two crashes share

Investigators say the drivers of both cars involved were attempting to turn eastbound onto University Avenue, Parizek said. The investigations also indicate that excessive speed and failure to yield are potential significant contributing factors in the crashes, according to Parizek.

The driver who struck the woman on Wednesday night faces several charges unrelated to the crash itself, including possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving with a suspended license, police said.

Police say investigations into both crashes are continuing. No further details about the woman's condition had been released by Thursday, and police have not released her name. In the Saturday case, Miller was identified by police, and his family also named him publicly, KCCI reported, a sign of how fast word traveled through the local riding community while the official investigation was still catching up.

The shared detail is the turn. In both cases, according to Parizek, a car was turning eastbound onto University Avenue when the motorcycle was struck. That is the movement investigators are now working through in both files, along with the speed of the vehicles involved and whether each driver yielded as required before turning.

For riders and drivers who use the corridor, the two wrecks in five days on the same few blocks have turned a routine east side route into a place the neighborhood is now watching closely. Anyone driving that stretch this week is sharing the road with people heading to and from gatherings for a young rider the community just lost, and police work at the intersections is still under way.