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FERGUS FALLS, Minn. — A motorcyclist who fled from Otter Tail County sheriff's deputies was found dead along a highway the morning after the pursuit, according to the sheriff's office.
The motorcyclist was a 34-year-old man from Hazen, North Dakota. Authorities have not yet released his name.
At about 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, sheriff's deputies began pursuing a speeding motorcycle on Interstate 94 near the junction with U.S. Highway 59, the sheriff's office said.
The motorcyclist left I-94 and went south toward Fergus Falls on County Highway 88.
Deputies lost sight of him and ended the chase soon after he turned onto County Highway 88.
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"A search of the area was conducted after the pursuit was terminated and the motorcycle was not located," the sheriff's office said in a statement.
At about 8 a.m. Friday, the sheriff's office received a call about a motorcycle crash on County Highway 88 near 180th Avenue. Officers who responded to that call found the motorcyclist dead, the sheriff's office said.
The motorcycle, a 2007 Kawasaki, was eastbound on County Highway 88 when it left the road and crashed, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. The motorcyclist was wearing a helmet.
"Preliminary findings indicate speed as a possible factor that contributed to the crash," the patrol said in a statement, noting that road conditions were wet at the time.
The Minnesota State Patrol is investigating the crash, and the Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office is investigating the chase.
