A Tucson-area motorcyclist has died more than a week after a crash that threw him from his bike near Silverbell and Trico roads, according to the Pima County Sheriff's Department. Robert Clell Hatfield lost control of his motorcycle on Oct. 3, struck a tree and was ejected before being rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. He died from those injuries on Oct. 12.
Hatfield's age has been reported differently across outlets covering the crash. The KOLD reported he was 73, while KVOA listed him as 72. The Arizona Daily Star also reported Hatfield's age as 73 in its coverage of the crash on Tucson's northwest side.
How the Crash Unfolded
Pima County Sheriff's Department Tucson Mountain deputies responded to the single-motorcycle crash near West Silverbell Road and North Trico Road on Oct. 3. Hatfield was riding with another motorcyclist at the time, and the sheriff's department said he lost control, hit a tree and was thrown from his bike. The Avra Valley Fire District also responded to the scene and transported him to a hospital.
The sheriff's department said Hatfield was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. Investigators are also looking into whether speed played a role in what happened, and the investigation remains ongoing, per the station's report.
A Death Reported Nine Days Later
Hatfield survived the initial crash but succumbed to his injuries on Oct. 12, the sheriff's department said in a news release. No further details about his condition in the days between the crash and his death have been released, and the investigation into the cause has not concluded.
Helmet Use and Speed Among Arizona's Crash Concerns
The circumstances echo broader patterns tracked by state transportation officials. The Arizona Department of Transportation has identified speeding and failure to use a seatbelt or helmet as leading factors in traffic fatalities, crashes and injuries statewide, even as the agency has reported a decrease in overall traffic fatalities and crashes across Arizona roads for three straight years, according to ADOT. The department's crash facts reporting also tracks motorcycle crashes and fatalities as a distinct category in its annual statewide data.
Hatfield's death adds to a string of fatal motorcycle crashes reported around the Tucson area in recent years. A man in his 20s died after losing control of his motorcycle on Tucson's southeast side without a helmet, as reported by Tucson.com. In a separate case on the city's far east side, a 61-year-old driver faced multiple charges, including impaired driving, in the hit-and-run death of a motorcyclist, Tucson.com also reported.
No citations, charges or final findings have been announced in Hatfield's case as the Pima County Sheriff's Department continues its investigation into whether speed contributed to the crash.
