12 Die in Motorcycle Accidents at 2024 Sturgis Rally

(North Dakota Monitor) -Three people died in motorcycle accidents during the recently concluded Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, according to the official tally of the state Department of Public Safety, but the actual number of motorcycle-involved traffic deaths in the state from the days before, during and after the event is 12.

The department, which includes the Highway Patrol, attributes traffic deaths to the rally only if they occur in a particular area of western South Dakota during the official rally dates, up to the morning of the last day. That number this year was three deaths, down from five last year.

According to the North Dakota Monitor when the scope is expanded to motorcycle-involved crashes in all of South Dakota during not only the rally dates but also the days just before and afterward, this year’s death toll is 12 and last year’s was 11. Neither number includes any rallygoers who may have died in other states while traveling to or from the rally.

In other statistics, this year’s rally included more arrests for drug possession and impaired driving, but fewer crashes and citations.

Law enforcement also seized $71,504 in assets allegedly tied to criminal activity this year – more than 35 times the total from 2023 – and arrested seven men on sex trafficking charges.

Automated traffic counters showed a slight decrease in traffic compared to the previous five-year average.

The rally began Aug. 2 and ended Sunday.

Fatalities, injuries

Among the motorcycle-involved traffic deaths not included in the official tally, five occurred during the three days immediately preceding the rally’s Aug. 2 start, and two occurred the day after the rally’s Aug. 11 end.

Two others were omitted from the tally because one occurred during the rally but on Interstate 90 near Hartford, outside of the area of western South Dakota included in the official count; and the other occurred near Deadwood in western South Dakota on the final Sunday afternoon of the rally, after the Highway Patrol stopped counting rally statistics at 6 a.m. that day.

Ten of the people killed in this year’s crashes were driving Harley-Davidsons, and two were driving other kinds of motorcycles. Two of the deceased people were from South Dakota; others were from Iowa, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota; two were from Ohio; and the residence of three of the people has not yet been released.

The North Dakota victim was James Luchi, 73, of Watford City. An obituary for Luchi said he had been at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally for his 37th year.

A report from the South Dakota Department of Public Safety said a minivan turned in front of Luchi.

Three of the 12 deceased people were wearing a helmet, seven were not wearing helmets, and helmet usage remains under investigation in the other two accidents.

In addition to fatal accidents, this year’s rally included 35 accidents that caused injuries and 54 that did not. Last year’s totals were 64 and 58, respectively.