A 46-year-old Bangor man died and a fellow Bangor resident was seriously injured Saturday evening when two motorcycles collided head-on along North Delaware Drive in Lower Mount Bethel Township. Chad A. Hess was pronounced dead at the scene, while 50-year-old John T. Gurski was taken to a hospital with serious injuries following the crash near Ott Street shortly after 5 p.m.
According to CBS Philadelphia, Hess was riding a 2010 Harley-Davidson southbound on North Delaware Drive when he lost control of the motorcycle and crossed into the opposite lane, striking Gurski's 2011 Harley-Davidson, which was headed northbound. Both men wore helmets at the time of the crash, police said. As reported by the Times News, Gurski was transported by Suburban Ambulance Corps to St. Luke's Hospital Anderson Campus in Easton.
Both riders lived in Bangor, according to the same report, underscoring how the two men shared not just a stretch of highway but a hometown. The crash remains under investigation, and what exactly caused Hess's motorcycle to drift across the center line — whether a mechanical failure, road condition, or another factor — has not been disclosed by investigators.
Multiple Agencies Responded to the Scene
Pennsylvania State Police troopers from the Belfast barracks are leading the investigation, with troopers from the Bethlehem barracks assisting at the scene, per the Times News. The Lower Mount Bethel Fire Department and the Forks Township Fire Department also responded to help manage the crash site along the two-lane arterial that runs beside the Delaware River.
North Delaware Drive, also known as Route 611, is a primary corridor through Lower Mount Bethel Township that regularly sees PennDOT maintenance work and localized lane restrictions, according to information shared by PennDOT's northeast region. The coroner pronounced Hess dead at the scene, and no updates on Gurski's condition following his hospitalization have been made public.
Helmet Use Was Voluntary Under State Law
Notably, both riders chose to wear helmets even though Pennsylvania law does not always require it. Under the state's motorcycle helmet statute, 75 Pa. C.S. § 3525, riders 21 and older can legally ride without headgear if they have completed an approved safety course or held a motorcycle license for at least two full years, according to the Malarick Law Firm. That means Hess and Gurski's decision to wear helmets was a personal safety choice rather than a legal obligation.
Statewide Numbers Show a Mixed Picture
The crash comes as Pennsylvania's overall motorcycle safety statistics have trended in a more encouraging direction. PennDOT recorded 2,927 motorcycle crashes and 186 rider fatalities statewide in 2025, down from 3,317 crashes and 219 fatalities in 2024, according to data reported by PAcast. Total traffic fatalities across the state also fell to 1,047 across 109,515 reportable crashes in 2025, the lowest fatal crash total on record outside of 2020, per the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors.
Even so, motorcyclists remain disproportionately vulnerable on the road. PennDOT safety data shows riders are killed roughly 27 times more often per vehicle mile traveled than passenger car occupants, and motorcycles are the striking vehicle in 96% of fatal motorcycle crashes nationwide, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Free training courses remain available to any Pennsylvania resident with a valid motorcycle permit or license through the state-funded Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program, PAcast notes.
This crash adds to a difficult summer for motorcyclists in the wider Lehigh Valley region. Earlier this month, an 18-year-old died in an Allentown crash on Hamilton Street, part of a broader pattern of fatal motorcycle collisions across neighboring Lehigh County this season. The investigation into Saturday's crash on North Delaware Drive remains active, with state police yet to release further details on what caused Hess to cross into the opposite lane.
