Temecula Motorcyclist Killed In Hillside Crash

TEMECULA, CA — A Temecula man was killed when he crashed a motorcycle off the roadway and tumbled down a hillside, the California Highway Patrol reported Saturday. The man, who has not yet been publicly identified, was 40.

According to CHP Officer Mike Lassig, the wreck happened around 5:15 p.m. Friday as the man was headed westbound on East Benton Road, near Ruth Road. It's not clear how fast he was going on the 1994 Harley Davidson.

"For an unknown reason, [the man] allowed [the motorcycle] to travel across the eastbound lane and collide with a raised asphalt curb," Lassig said in a news release. "[The motorcycle] continued in a westerly direction and traveled down a dirt hillside where it overturned."

The motorcycle then overturned, ejecting the Temecula man, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim was wearing safety equipment at the time, according to the CHP.

The crash remains under investigation by the Temecula Area CHP office.

— Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone / City News Service contributed to this report