A Kansas City motorcyclist died early Tuesday after a Harley-Davidson left Highway 152, traveled down a ravine and struck a tree near U.S. 169. The rider was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene.
Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department officers were called shortly before 2 a.m. to westbound Mo. 152 and the southbound entrance ramp to U.S. 169, according to KSHB 41.
Police said the motorcycle was traveling westbound on Mo. 152 approaching U.S. 169 when the rider failed to negotiate a curve. The bike then went down a ravine and hit a tree, with the rider thrown from the Harley-Davidson.
Investigation Continues Near The Highway 152 Ramp
The crash was described as a single-vehicle incident, and the initial account did not identify the rider or provide additional information about possible contributing factors. The investigation remains ongoing, KSHB 41 reported.
The Missouri Department of Transportation's Kansas City roadwork listing includes pavement resurfacing on MO 152 from Rt. 169 to Rt. 1.
The fatality follows a separate deadly motorcycle crash in Kansas City last month. On July 8, a rider died after a Kawasaki Ninja struck the rear of a semi-truck on southbound I-29 near Northwest 64th Street, according to KCTV5.
According to the Missouri Department of Transportation, preliminary numbers indicated that 133 motorcyclists were killed on Missouri roadways in 2024, a 23% decrease from the prior year. The Missouri Department of Transportation's April 2026 Tracker Archive reported 909 traffic fatalities in Missouri in 2025, a 4.8% decrease from 2024 and the third consecutive year of declining fatalities.
Officials have not released further details in Tuesday’s crash, including the rider’s identity or whether additional circumstances contributed to the wreck. Investigators are continuing to document what led the motorcycle off the roadway.
