On Thursday, February 1, 2018 at approximately 9:57 a.m., the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a vehicle versus motorcycle collision on East South Frontage Road and South Ironwood Drive in Yuma, AZ.
The initial investigation revealed that a 2011 Toyota 4 Runner was traveling westbound on East South Frontage Road and made a left turn onto South Ironwood Drive when the 2017 Harley Davidson motorcycle that was traveling eastbound on East South Frontage collided with the 4 Runner.
The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office Critical Accident Response Team responded to the scene and assumed the investigation.
The driver of the 4 Runner, Steven Earl Johnston, 62 years of age, of Yuma, was evaluated on scene and refused medical care.
The Harley Davidson rider, Francois Bessette, 54 years of age, of Canada, was unresponsive on scene and succumbed to his injuries. A female passenger on the Harley was transported to the Yuma Regional Medical Center by Rural Metro Ambulance and later flown to a Phoenix area hospital.
The cause of the collision is still under investigation. Anyone with information regarding this case, please contact the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office at 928-783-4427 or 78-CRIME to remain anonymous. You can also visit our website at www.yumacountysheriff.org to submit an anonymous tip.