Photo: CKRW file.
Yukon Coroner Service is investigating the deaths of 2 motorcyclists
YUKON – The Yukon Coroner Service is investigating the deaths of two American motorcyclists in separate accidents this month.
On the morning of June 8, 2023, Dawson City RCMP reported a motorcyclist fatality to the Yukon Coroner’s Service that happened on the Dempster Highway at kilometre 456. A 66-year-old man from Columbus, Georgia was traveling north alone on a 2006 BMW motorcycle when it appeared he lost control of his bike.
The death was confirmed on scene and the body of the deceased was transferred to Whitehorse. The man was discovered to have departed Georgia on May 15. He was traveling alone across the Yukon on his way to Inuvik, Northwest Territories.
Then on June 9, 2023, another motorcyclist lost their lives while being transported to the Whitehorse General Hospital. 62-year-old Thomas Bolton from Coolidge, Georgia was traveling with 2 others when he lost control of his bike on gravel near Fox Creek.
On May 26, 2023, Bolton departed Georgia, trucked bikes to Montana, and began his journey via Alberta and into the Yukon. They were planning a vacation to the Yukon and expected to travel to Palmer, Alaska, with his friends. On June 9, they departed Johnson’s Crossing, paused briefly in Whitehorse, and then traveled north towards Dawson City.
After he lost control, he was then transferred to Whitehorse General Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries en route.
Both motorcyclists were carrying a substantial amount of gear on their vehicles. Although they were both from Georgia, they were not known to each other or otherwise connected.
The Yukon Coroner’s Service continues to investigate both fatal accidents and appreciates the assistance of the Dawson City and Whitehorse detachments of the Yukon RCMP, the Yukon RCMP Traffic Analyst Team, Yukon EMS, the Whitehorse General Hospital, and many others who assisted at the scenes of both of these tragic accidents.
