On April 14, 2009 at approximately 5:00 p.m., Maricopa Police officers responded to a single-vehicle motorcycle collision with serious injuries on Rancho Mirage Blvd. in the Rancho Mirage community in Maricopa. Shortly after the arrival of officers on the scene, the motorcycle rider, a 45 year old male resident of Maricopa, was pronounced deceased by Maricopa Fire Department medical personnel due to injuries received as a result of the collision. The victim was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident and according to witnesses, speed may have been a factor in the crash. The Maricopa Police Traffic Unit is conducting an investigation into the events surrounding the accident.
Arizona Revised Statutes require all persons under the age of eighteen to wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle. As a Public Safety Department we encourage all, regardless of age, to wear a helmet and other safety equipment while operating or riding on a motorcycle. Helmets have proven to be the difference between life and death in many similar crashes.