Minnesota sees surge in motorcycle fatalities as four riders die in three days

Four motorcyclists died in separate crashes across Minnesota within a three‑day span, marking a sharp increase in motorcycle fatalities.

The victims ranged in age from 17 to 71. In Rochester, 26‑year‑old Damon Saponari was killed when his motorcycle collided with an SUV at the Hwy 63 interchange. The SUV driver was unharmed. In Scott County, 71‑year‑old Dale Donald Sibbet left the road on a curve, struck an embankment and a driveway, and was pronounced dead at the scene; investigators noted possible drug or alcohol impairment. A 17‑year‑old teen in Benton County died after his motorcycle hit a silage trailer being pulled by a tractor. In Hastings, 28‑year‑old Jeremiah Thomas Miller Hurley was fatally struck by an SUV at the Hwy 61/Hwy 95 interchange, with the SUV driver also unharmed. Authorities continue to investigate the incidents and have temporarily closed lanes at the Rochester crash site for forensic mapping.