BILLSBURG — The first fatality of the 2022 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was reported last weekend in Haakon County. The South Dakota Highway Patrol says a crash involving two motorcycles happened Saturday just before 11 am on South Dakota Highway 34, 18 miles west of Hayes. The crash was just west of the Ottumwa Road turnoff on Highway 34. A 2013 Harley-Davidson was traveling west on Highway 34 when slowed down. It was rear-ended by a similar 2013 Harley. The 58 year-old driver of the first motorcycle died at a Rapid City hospital from injuries sustained in the crash. The 68 year-old driver of the second cycle was transported to the Hans Peterson Memorial Hospital in Philip for treatment of serious, non-life threatening injuries. Neither driver was using a helmet at the time of the crash. Between six AM Saturday and six AM Sunday, the Patrol reported a total of nine injury crashes and four non-injury crashes.
