This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Unified Police say a motorcyclist was killed Wednesday morning as both he and the driver of a van apparently tried to beat a red light at a southwest Salt Lake County intersection.
UPD Lt. Lex Bell said the 6:30 a.m. crash at 5400 South and 5600 West was witnessed by a UPD officer patrolling the area. The officer immediately tried to render aid to the motorcyclist, who was thrown from his bike, but the man died en route to the hospital a short time later.
UPD identified the deceased as 20-year-old Stone Feather Donald Brisbane.
Neither the male driver of the van nor his male passenger were injured.
Bell said it appeared that Brisbane, northbound on 5600 West, sped up as he approached the intersection, where the traffic signal had turned yellow. The van, facing southbound, also tried to beat the light, turning eastbound into the path of the motorcycle.
The bike struck the rear passenger side of the van with such force that the vehicle spun around. The motorcycle caught fire as Brisbane was tossed clear, with his shoes and other clothing items landing about 100 feet away, Bell said.
Brisbane was wearing a helmet and other protective gear, but the trauma of the high-speed collision was nonetheless deadly, Bell said.
The intersection, all northbound and one southbound lanes leading into and out of it, were closed down for several hours as wreckage was cleared and the accident scene investigated.
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