A 61-year-old Elkin woman died after the trike motorcycle she was riding on overturned and struck a tree in eastern Wilkes County. Kim Bohannon Bledsoe was a passenger on the vehicle when it left the roadway on Carter Mill Road and ejected both riders, according to investigators.
The crash happened on Carter Mill Road near Pleasant Ridge Road, according to the Wilkes Record, which reported that the North Carolina State Highway Patrol responded to the scene. N.C. Highway Patrol Master Trooper K. Jake Macchia said the vehicle involved was a 1998 Honda GL1500 SE equipped with a convertible trike kit, traveling east before it left the right side of the roadway, overturned, and struck a tree.
The driver, 72-year-old Foley Ray Bledsoe of Elkin, and his 61-year-old passenger, Kim Bohannon Bledsoe, also of Elkin, were both ejected from the vehicle in the crash, per the same account. Foley Ray Bledsoe sustained serious injuries, while Kim Bohannon Bledsoe died from her injuries at the hospital after both occupants were transported for treatment.
No Charges Expected as Speed and Impairment Ruled Out
Highway Patrol reported that no charges will be filed in connection with the crash. The initial investigation found no indication that speed or impairment contributed to the collision, per Highway Patrol's findings relayed by the station's report.
Both occupants were wearing Department of Transportation-approved helmets at the time of the crash, the outlet noted. Under North Carolina General Statute § 20-140.4, all motorcycle and moped operators and passengers are required to wear safety helmets meeting Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218 and secured with a retention strap, according to the North Carolina General Assembly.
Carter Mill Road was closed for about an hour while investigators examined the scene, the article added. The Wilkes County District Attorney's Office was notified of the investigation, according to the same report.
Trike Conversions Change How a Motorcycle Handles
Trike conversion kits like the one on the Bledsoes' Honda alter a motorcycle's handling so that it no longer leans into turns and instead requires direct handlebar steering, according to DNA Specialty. North Carolina DMV regulations also require operators of three-wheeled motorcycles to hold a valid motorcycle endorsement, and specialized trike courses are available, per Karney | Clayton.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol's Troop F, District II, headquartered in Wilkesboro, covers Wilkes, Ashe, and Alleghany counties. Troop F troopers investigated two separate fatal traffic incidents in Wilkes County on August 20 and August 26, 2026, including a collision on NC 115 that killed a 73-year-old motorcyclist, according to WataugaOnline.com.
Crash Occurred on a Rural Road
Statewide, motorcycles make up about 2% of registered vehicles in North Carolina but account for roughly 10% of all highway traffic fatalities, according to NCDOT traffic safety data shared by DeMayo Law Offices. The same firm notes that North Carolina recorded an average of 3,631 motorcycle crashes and 192 motorcyclist deaths per year between 2020 and 2024.
The crash occurred on a rural stretch of Carter Mill Road.
North Carolina also operates under a pure contributory negligence standard, meaning an injured party or estate can be barred from recovering civil damages if found even 1% at fault for a crash, according to DeMent Askew Johnson & Marshall. While Highway Patrol has cleared the driver of criminal wrongdoing, that legal standard could still shape any future civil or insurance review of the crash.
