A Tuesday afternoon ride ended in tragedy when a motorcyclist was killed in a crash on Rink Dam Road just north of Lake Hickory in Alexander County. Troopers said the rider was thrown from the bike and pronounced dead at the scene. Rink Dam Road was shut down for about two hours while investigators worked the crash site.
State troopers identified the motorcyclist as 58-year-old Dean Patrick Lewis of Catawba. They said speed is suspected to have been a factor in the wreck, though there was no immediate word on possible impairment, according to WCNC. Investigators said Lewis was riding a 2019 Harley-Davidson and that no other injuries were reported.
Where the crash occurred
Troopers said the collision happened near the intersection with Fess Little Road in the Taylorsville area, along a rural stretch just north of Lake Hickory. In late April, another fatal crash was reported on Rink Dam Road, underscoring long-running safety concerns on some of the county’s two-lane roads, according to WSOC.
Speed and statewide trends
Speed-related crashes remain a leading cause of traffic deaths in North Carolina, and motorcyclists are hit especially hard. The NHTSA’s FY24 report for North Carolina notes that speeding-related crashes are most common among younger drivers and motorcycle riders, a pattern troopers said may be relevant in this case, per NHTSA.
According to WCNC, troopers said the investigation remains active and that additional details will not be released until their on-scene work is complete. Alexander County emergency units assisted at the crash site.
