According to a collision report from the California Highway Patrol, on Aug. 31 at approximately 6:10 a.m., Merced Communications Center received calls of a solo traffic crash in the area of Santa Fe grade, south of W. Shaw Avenue. Officers from the CHP Los Banos area office responded to the scene.
Preliminary investigation indicates a 24 year old male, accompanied by a 23 year old female passenger, were riding a motorcycle travelling southbound at a high rate of speed on Santa Fe Grade south of W. Shaw Ave.
At the same time, a trailer was parked on the west side of the road ahead of the motorcycle. For reasons unknown, the male driver did not slow for the parked trailer and was unable to avoid a crash.
The front of the motorcycle collided with the right rear of the trailer. Both riders were ejected from the motorcycle and pronounced deceased on scene.
It is unknown at this time if alcohol or drugs were a factor in this crash.
