Wayne Selby, a 62-year-old Streetsboro man, was found dead just off the road in the 10100 block of Page Road early Tuesday after his motorcycle left the roadway and struck power lines, knocking them down and cutting electricity to at least one nearby home. Officers and emergency medical workers were called to the scene just after 2 a.m., but Selby was pronounced dead at the crash site.
According to Cleveland.com, the downed power lines were still live when emergency workers arrived, forcing crews to treat the scene with extra caution before investigators could move in. Page Road was closed between Hannum Drive and Dunlap Road while Ohio Edison crews worked to repair the lines and make the area safe, according to WKYC. Selby's silver 2009 Harley-Davidson Street Glide sustained disabling damage and was towed from the scene by Gateway Towing, and police confirmed there were no indications another vehicle was involved or that Selby had a passenger with him.
Why the Power Lines Made the Scene More Dangerous
Downed power lines carry hazards that extend well beyond the wire itself. Utility safety guidance from FirstEnergy notes that a downed line can energize the surrounding ground up to 35 feet away, which is why operating companies like Ohio Edison must isolate power before first responders can safely process a crash scene. That requirement likely factored into how long it took investigators to fully document the area where Selby was found.
Because the crash was fatal, Streetsboro police called in the Summit Metro Crash Team, a multi-jurisdictional unit that pools specialized crash investigators and equipment from Summit and Portage county police departments, to handle the full investigation. Streetsboro relies on that joint task force for fatal and complex traffic crashes, and the same unit was activated just ten days earlier when a 29-year-old Kent man died in a head-on collision with a tractor-trailer on State Route 43. Both of those Streetsboro crashes struck between 2 a.m. and 2:30 a.m., according to the same WKYC report.
A Life Remembered by Family
Selby was preceded in death by his wife, Judith, and is survived by two children and five grandchildren, according to his obituary. He was born March 10, 1964. Funeral services are scheduled for September 10 at Ferfolia Funeral Home in Sagamore Hills, with interment to follow at All Saints Cemetery.
Part of a Wider Pattern of Fatal Rides
Selby's death adds to a grim stretch for motorcyclists across Northeast Ohio in recent weeks. Just days before his crash, a 73-year-old Rootstown rider died on Route 212 while operating the same model of motorcycle, a Harley-Davidson Street Glide, and the region also saw a cluster of fatal rider crashes concentrated around Cleveland within the same two-week span. Statewide, Ohio recorded over 20,000 total motorcycle crashes and more than 1,000 rider fatalities between 2020 and 2024, per WTOL.
Ohio law does not require licensed adult riders over 18 to wear a helmet once they have held a license for more than a year, though protective eyewear or a windshield is mandatory for all riders under Ohio Revised Code Section 4511.53, according to the Gervelis Law Firm. It remains unclear whether Selby was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, and investigators have not yet said what caused his motorcycle to leave the roadway, whether a medical emergency or another factor played a role, or what toxicology and coroner findings may eventually show.
Streetsboro police are asking anyone with information about the crash to come forward. Investigators can be reached at 330-626-4976 or by email at [email protected].
