A motorcyclist died Tuesday night after colliding with a left-turning vehicle at the intersection of 5900 South and State Street in Murray, according to authorities. The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other driver stayed behind and cooperated with investigators.
According to KUTV, Murray Police Department officers responded to the scene at approximately 5:40 p.m., and the vehicle involved was a truck turning left onto 5900 South. The truck driver was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries.
Murray Police spokesperson Kristen Reardon told KUTV that the motorcyclist crashed at the intersection after coming through traffic stopped at the light, striking the truck as it turned. “Sounds like the vehicle was clear to turn left and it sounds like the motorcycle came through the cars at the light and hit the truck,” Reardon said, according to the station’s report. Reardon also said the motorcyclist had been speeding recklessly on 5300 South, per the same account, though officials said they are still working to confirm who had the right of way at the time of the collision.
Intersection Shut Down for Hours
State Street was closed in both directions at 5900 South while crews worked the scene, the Utah Department of Transportation confirmed in a separate advisory cited by ABC4. The closure stretched on for hours as investigators reconstructed the crash, and KUTV reported the intersection remained shut for several hours while crews processed the scene. The motorcyclist’s identity had not been released as of the station’s report.
A separate fatal motorcycle crash involving a left-turning vehicle occurred in Murray. On March 31, a man in his mid-20s died after a northbound car turned left onto 50 East and collided with his westbound motorcycle at 50 East and 5300 South, KSL.com reported at the time. In that crash, the driver of the car was also taken to a hospital with minor injuries and cooperated with police, though the two incidents are separate and should not be confused.
A Record Year for Motorcycle Deaths in Utah
The Murray crash adds to a grim statewide trend. Utah recorded 72 motorcyclist deaths in 2025, the highest total in state history, according to the Utah Department of Public Safety as reported by KSL.com. More than 75% of the riders killed were not motorcycle endorsed, and fewer than 10% had completed formal safety training, the outlet reported. State officials have pointed to failure to yield, unsafe lane changes and speeding as major contributing factors in crashes statewide.
Other recent incidents have compounded traffic headaches along the same corridor. In a separate crash near State Street and 5900 South, a UDOT camera captured a motorcycle broken in two, and all southbound lanes of U.S. 89 were blocked along with the exit ramp and northbound U.S. 89, according to KUTV. UDOT estimated at the time that the roads would clear by 6:46 p.m.
No further details on potential charges or the findings of the crash reconstruction have been released. Officials have not said when the investigation into Tuesday’s fatal collision is expected to conclude.
