Motorcyclist loses control, dies after crashing into drainage ditch outside of Fresno

A motorcycle rider died after crashing into a ditch Sunday morning just outside Fresno.

The crash happened about 11 a.m. on northbound Friant Road, just north of Willow Avenue, according to California Highway Patrol spokesman Mike Salas.

A witness told CHP that a man, later identified as a 21-year-old, was riding a gray Yamaha at a high rate of speed, Salas said. The man lost control of the motorcycle as it entered a slight left turn.

The motorcycle went onto the right shoulder, went airborne and landed in a rocky water drainage ditch. The impact caused the rider to be thrown off the bike and he landed on a rocky embankment. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Salas said that neither drugs or alcohol appear to be a factor in this collision.

This story was originally published October 3, 2021 at 4:24 PM.