Motorcyclist dies after his Harley crashes into back of a pickup, Benzie Co. deputies say

The Benzie County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday a motorcyclist died after a crash involving a pickup truck.

On Wednesday around 10 p.m., Benzie County Central Dispatch received a report of a two-vehicle crash with injuries near Fewins Road and Burnt Mill Road in Inland Township.

The initial caller reported that a motorcycle struck a pickup from behind, deputies said.

Sheriff’s office deputies arrived at the scene several minutes later and found a 2015 Harley Davidson motorcycle and a 2016 Dodge Ram pickup north of the roadway in a ditch. The Ram pickup had overturned, they said.

Deputies immediately attempted lifesaving measures on the driver of the motorcycle, they said, but they were unable to revive the man. He was pronounced dead at the scene, deputies said.

The motorcycle driver killed in the crash was identified as 53-year-old Sam Edward Kangas of Interlochen. The driver of the 2016 Dodge pickup was identified as 44-year-old Kyle Poff of Interlochen. Poff suffered minor injuries in the crash, deputies said.

The initial investigation shows that the 2016 Dodge Ram was westbound on Fewins Road when it was struck from behind by the Harley-Davidson motorcycle traveling at a high rate of speed in the same direction, deputies said. Speed appears to be a factor in this crash, deputies said.

The operator of the motorcycle was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, deputies said.