Union County, S.D.- A 66-year-old man died Saturday afternoon in a single-vehicle crash one mile south of Beresford, SD.
Preliminary crash information indicates the Gene J. Eli, the driver of a 2004 Kawasaki VN750 motorcycle was southbound on I-29 when for an unknown reason the motorcycle drifted off the left side of the highway and into the median.
The motorcycle crashed in the median, ejecting the driver. He was not wearing a helmet and sustained serious injuries. Eli was transported to a local hospital by ambulance where he died from his injuries. Speed and alcohol are not believed to be a factor in the crash and no other vehicles were involved.
The South Dakota Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. All information released so far is only preliminary.
What: Single vehicle fatal crash
Where: Interstate 29, mile marker 46, one mile south of Beresford, SD
When: 5:42p.m. Saturday, May 11, 2024
Driver 1: Gene Jerome Eli, 66 year-old male from Yankton, SD, fatal injuries
Vehicle 1: 2004 Kawasaki VN750
Helmet Use: No