A Clinton County motorcyclist was killed Friday afternoon after a minivan reportedly failed to yield and slammed into his bike on a rural stretch of Farmers Road, according to state troopers.
The crash happened around 1:20 p.m. near Murphy Road in Washington Township. The rider, 33-year-old Joshua Pagett, was taken to Miami Valley Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Rural Road Crash Turns Deadly
As reported by 10TV, the collision involved a 2010 Chrysler Town and Country that did not yield and struck a 2003 Yamaha XVS650C. The impact sent the motorcycle off the left side of the road and threw Pagett from the bike.
Troopers told the station that Pagett was not wearing a helmet. He was flown from the scene with life-threatening injuries and later died at Miami Valley Hospital. The Chrysler’s 71-year-old driver, who was wearing a seat belt, suffered only minor injuries that were treated at the scene, according to 10TV.
Ohio’s Motorcycle Toll Keeps Climbing
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s NHTSA FFY2024 annual evaluation report for Ohio lists a preliminary total of 214 motorcyclist deaths in 2024, a number that highlights just how exposed riders are on the state’s roads.
The IIHS reports that helmets cut the risk of death and traumatic brain injury by roughly 37 to 42 percent. State officials point to the Motorcycle Ohio rider-training program, which trained more than 11,000 students last year, as one key tool to keep those numbers from getting worse. They say a mix of helmets, training, and targeted enforcement is still the main playbook for reducing motorcycle fatalities.
Troopers Seek Witnesses As Probe Continues
The Ohio State Highway Patrol is still investigating the crash and has asked anyone with information or dash-cam video from the area to contact troopers, according to 10TV. No citations or charges were immediately announced.
