Aberdeen man killed in motorcycle crash near Raymond

He hit debris and lost control, according to State Patrol

Editor’s note: an earlier version of the story read that Prieto lost control while attempting overtake another vehicle.

An Aberdeen man died following a medical helicopter evacuation to St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Tacoma after crashing his motorcycle north of Raymond.

Salvador Prieto, 65, was driving northbound on U.S. Highway 101 at about 4:49 p.m. on Sunday before hitting road debris, losing control and crashing, according to a report from the Washington State Patrol.

Prieto lost traction and was ejected from his motorcycle, a 2006 Yamaha, suffering a spinal injury as a result, said Trooper Katherine Weatherwax, a spokesperson for WSP District 8.

Local emergency organizations, including the State Patrol, Pacific County Sheriff’s Office and Raymond Fire Department responded to the crash. Responders shut down the highway so that a Lifeflight helicopter could land directly on the highway, Weatherwax said, and Prieto was flown out about an hour after the crash.

Prieto was pronounced dead at the hospital as a result of injuries sustained in the crash, Weatherwax said, and the next of kin have been notified.

“We are getting an increase in serious injury/fatal motorcycle collisions. This happens every summer unfortunately,” Weatherwax said. “It’s nice weather and that makes for a lot more riders to come out. A lot of these crashes we are seeing (are) mostly just one-motorcycle collisions.”

While it wasn’t the case here, Weatherwax said, many crashes involve younger or more inexperienced riders. Debris in the road can range from trees and branches to items that have fallen off of vehicles like yard tools or ladders.

“We encourage people to call 911 if there is a traffic hazard so we can prevent bad collisions. That also goes hand in hand with people properly securing their load,” Weatherwax said. “Maybe this rider could have not have avoided this collision but it could have been preventable. Please if you see something say something, this goes with all traffic safety issues.”

Contact Senior Reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.