A Woodland man died Wednesday evening in a solo motorcycle collision that California Highway Patrol investigators say may have been alcohol-related.
The cyclist, identified by Yolo County coroner’s officials as 55-year-old Timothy Q. Thomas, was traveling eastbound on Highway 16 in the town of Capay “at a high rate of speed and failed to negotiate a left-hand curve in the roadway at Tabers Court” at about 5:15 p.m., the CHP reported in a news release.
“The motorcycle traveled off the south road edge onto a grass/dirt embankment and went down on its side,” the release continued. “The motorcycle and rider continued down the embankment where it appeared the rider struck a metal gate. The motorcycle continued a short distance past the metal gate and came to rest in a patch of vegetation.”
Thomas, who was ejected from the Honda VT750 motorcycle ,”had been wearing what appeared to be an illegal helmet (no liner, no padding, no Department of Transportation sticker) which appeared to have been fully ejected from his head during the collision sequence,” the CHP reported. He died at the scene.
“The preliminary investigation indicates alcohol may have been a factor in the collision,” the news release said. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Woodland CHP office at 530-662-4685.