Crash leaves motorcyclist in critical condition

Wichita police investigators are calling speed “a major factor” in a collision that sent a 27-year-old motorcyclist to an area hospital with critical injuries Wednesday afternoon.

Sgt. Nikki Woodrow said a man driving an SUV northbound in the 700 block of north West Street near Central was turning west into a parking lot when the motorcyclist collided with it at about 4:30 p.m.

The motorcyclist, a 27-year-old man, suffered extensive injuries; he was still “critical but stable” on Thursday morning, Woodrow said. She did not know the extent of his injuries.

Woodrow said it’s unclear how fast the motorcycle was traveling when it collided with the SUV, but witnesses at the scene characterized it as “very high.”

She called speeding on a motorcycle “a deadly combination.” Traffic was tied up in the area for several hours Wednesday evening.

This story was originally published November 17, 2016 at 10:57 AM with the headline "Crash leaves motorcyclist in critical condition."