A Johnsburg man died after the sheriff says he was found ejected into a wooded area following a high-speed motorcycle crash into a rock in Bull Valley Friday evening.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and McHenry Township Fire Protection District responded around 10 p.m. Friday to the 800 block of Cherry Valley Road in Bull Valley for a report of a vehicle crash.
A 911 caller reported finding a motorcycle crashed in a ditch south of Bull Valley Road, according to emergency radio traffic.
The sheriff’s office said a preliminary investigation shows that a 2019 Honda Fury was traveling northbound on Cherry Valley Road.
The Honda failed to negotiate a curve on Cherry Valley Road, exited the roadway to the east and struck a large rock.
The male driver, who was the sole occupant of the motorcycle, was ejected and came to rest in a wooded area, sheriff’s officials said.
Paramedics arrived and found the victim unconscious and not breathing. They started lifesaving measures, including CPR.
The driver was transported by ambulance to Northwestern Medicine Hospital in McHenry where he was pronounced dead.
A LifeNet medical helicopter was placed on standby initially and then canceled.
A helmet was not located at the scene, the sheriff’s office said. No other vehicles were involved.
Investigators say speed and alcohol are believed to be contributing factors in the crash.
The McHenry County Coroner’s Office responded to the hospital and took possession of the victim for an autopsy, which is being scheduled.
The motorcyclist was a 63-year-old Johnsburg man and his identity has not been released yet.
The investigation remains ongoing and is being conducted by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Major Traffic Crash Investigation Unit and the McHenry County Coroner’s Office.