TOWN OF EAU PLEINE — The driver of a motorcycle involved in a fatal weekend crash has been identified as a 56-year-old Stratford man.
Steven Helmke died when the Honda Valkyrie he was driving crashed into the back of a Chevrolet Cruze driven by a 53-year-old Edgar woman, police said.
The crash was reported at about 5:18 p.m. Friday on Hwy. E, north of Hwy. 153 in the town of Eau Pleine, police said.
An initial investigation shows the motorcycle was following the car northbound on Hwy. E when a third vehicle came into view in a driveway. The driver of the northbound car slowed and swerved slightly after seeing the third vehicle, police said. Helmke’s motorcycle struck the left rear bumper of the Cruze, police said.
Alcohol use is not suspected in the crash, though routine blood tests for alcohol and drugs are pending. No citations were issued, according to the crash report obtained Monday by Wausau Pilot and Review.
