Motorcyclist ID’d as Fresno man dies days after Clovis crash. Here’s what police say happened

A motorcyclist identified as a Fresno resident has died days after he crashed into a telephone pole, the Clovis Police Department announced Sunday.

Michael Yepez, 26, of Fresno was identified by the Fresno County Coroner’s Office as the man killed, according to a news release from the Police Department.

Ty Wood, a Clovis police spokesman, said the department did not have a time of death.

Yepez was taken to Community Regional Medical Center after the solo crash just after 3 a.m. Thursday. At this point, authorities believe alcohol was a factor in the crash, according to the news release.

Officers say Yepez left the downtown Clovis area about 2:50 a.m., according to evidence in their preliminary investigation that includes footage from city cameras.

Yepez was going south on Clovis Avenue, approaching a slight curve, when his motorcycle hit the telephone pole.

The Clovis Police Department’s Collision Reconstruction Unit continues to investigate.

This story was originally published September 4, 2022 at 1:11 PM.

Yesenia Amaro

The Fresno Bee

559-441-6144

Yesenia Amaro covers immigration and diverse communities for The Fresno Bee. She previously worked for the Phnom Penh Post in Cambodia and the Las Vegas Review-Journal in Nevada. She recently received the 2018 Journalistic Integrity award from the CACJ. In 2015, she won the Outstanding Journalist of the Year Award from the Nevada Press Association, and also received the Community Service Award.