66-year-old Colorado Springs man identifed as victim in fatal motorcycle vs trash truck crash

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - A 66-year-old man from Colorado Springs has been identified as the victim in a fatal crash last week between a motorcycle and a trash truck.

According to the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD), officers responded on April 16 to the intersection of East Cheyenne Road and Southgate Road for a crash involving a trash truck and a motorcycle. Members of the Colorado Springs Fire Department and AMR provided medical attention to the motorcyclist before transporting him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

CSPD said the investigation revealed that a trash truck was stopped southbound at the light on East Cheyenne Road at Southgate Road. There was a vehicle also going southbound, preparing to turn eastbound on Southgate Road. When the light changed to green, the trash truck and the car waited briefly and proceeded into the intersection. As the trash truck and vehicle entered the intersection, a motorcycle was westbound on Southgate Road.

According to CSPD, the motorcycle failed to stop for the red light, entered the intersection, and struck the front of the car before becoming lodged under the front of the trash truck. The trash truck stopped briefly at the intersection and then decided to pull through the intersection and stop to figure out what happened. The driver of the trash truck knew they had been hit, but was unaware the driver of the motorcycle was under the truck, the department said.

The El Paso County Coroner has identified the deceased motorcycle rider as 66-year-old John Elrod of Colorado Springs.