(Franklin County, IN) – A motorcyclist was killed in a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of State Road 121 and Old U.S. 52 just south of Laurel Saturday afternoon.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office says the preliminary investigation indicates it was around 2:44 p.m. when an SUV driven by Samantha Forschbach was pulling onto State Road 121 from Old U.S. 52 when her vehicle went into the path of a motorcycle operated by 69-year-old Bonnie Lapham.
The cycle collided with the driver’s side of the SUV.
Deputies say Lapham was not wearing a helmet and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Forschbach was not injured.
The crash remains under investigation.
Deputies received assistance at the scene from Letts EMS, the Laurel Fire Department and the Franklin County Coroner’s Office.
This was Franklin County’s 23rd fatal crash in the last five years. Twenty-nine people have died on county roads in that time.
According to Indiana State Crash Report data, these crashes have been attributed to a multitude of factors, including driving left of center, unsafe speed, failure to yield, alcohol and/or drug impairment, distracted or inattentive driving, following too closely, and animals in the roadway.
Franklin County Sheriff’s deputies urge you to speak with your loved ones about the importance of safe driving habits and remaining alert behind the wheel.
