A motorcyclist suffered serious injuries Thursday night after colliding with a vehicle on Park Avenue in Cranston, with the impact throwing the rider from the bike and into the other vehicle's windshield. Police say the motorcycle was traveling west on Park Avenue when it struck a vehicle that was turning north onto Dyer Avenue, near the Honey Dew Donuts at 1363 Park Ave.
Cranston police responded to the scene at 8:55 p.m., according to WJAR. Cranston Police Chief Michael Winquist said the preliminary investigation indicates the motorcycle collided with the vehicle as it turned onto Dyer Avenue, sending the rider into the windshield of the other car.
Helmet On, Injuries Called Serious But Not Life-Threatening
The motorcyclist was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, police said, and was transported to Rhode Island Hospital. While the station's report describes the injuries as serious, police said they are not considered life-threatening. The Cranston Police Department's Traffic Unit is now handling the investigation into exactly how the crash unfolded.
A witness told police the rider had been passing other vehicles immediately before the collision and may have been traveling at a high rate of speed, per the same account. That detail remains an allegation from a bystander rather than a confirmed cause, and investigators have not released any determination of fault.
Not the First Serious Crash Along This Corridor
Park Avenue has seen other serious crashes in recent years. In June 2023, WPRI.com reported that a motorized bicycle and an SUV collided at Park Avenue and Broad Street, seriously injuring one person; the cause of that crash was unknown at the time. In April 2024, WPRI also reported that police were investigating a deadly motorcycle crash elsewhere in Cranston.
Motorcycle crashes with serious outcomes aren't confined to Cranston, either. A separate report from WPRI.com described a motorcycle rider suffering serious injuries after colliding with a vehicle at the intersection of South Main and Jean streets in Acushnet.
Statewide Motorcycle Fatalities Have Fluctuated
Rhode Island's motorcycle fatality numbers have swung widely in recent years. According to the state transportation department, dot.ri.gov reports that deaths ranged from a low of eight in 2024 to a high of 15 in 2023, with preliminary 2025 data showing 10 fatalities. Federal highway safety data counted 3,419 fatal two-vehicle crashes involving a motorcycle in 2023.
No citations or arrests have been announced in connection with Thursday's crash, and the exact circumstances leading up to the collision remain under investigation by Cranston police.
