DOWNTOWN A man riding on a stolen motorcycle was killed Thursday morning when he collided with an SUV at the intersection of Fourth Street and Colorado Avenue.
The crash occurred around 5:45 a.m., according to Lt. Alex Padilla with the Santa Monica Police Department, resulting in street closures and traffic snarls that lasted into the afternoon.
The biker, who was traveling in excess of 60 mph, died at the scene. The driver of the SUV suffered minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment, Padilla said.
The motorcyclist was a man in his late 40s. His identity was being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Officers received a report of a stolen vehicle shortly before the accident. The owner of the Harley-Davidson bike said the theft occurred in a parking lot at 16th Street and Santa Monica Boulevard. Officers were already looking for the suspect when the crash occurred.
Witnesses said they saw the motorcycle speeding southbound on Fourth Street, blowing through several lights before broadsiding the 2003 Volkswagen Touareg.
The rider was traveling so fast that police said the helmet he was wearing was found lodged into the frame of the car where the front door meets the roof.
“We are not sure yet how the suspect started the bike,” Padilla said.
Following the early morning crash, police closed off Fourth Street, from Olympic Boulevard to Broadway, and Colorado Avenue, from Fifth Street to Second Street, for more than six hours while conducting their investigation.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 1, 2007. Read the original PDF.