Crime & Safety

Sterling Heights Woman Dies in Motorcycle Crash on Memorial Day

Leslie Ann Allen, 29, of Sterling Heights, died Monday in a motorcycle/tow truck accident in Sterling Heights.

A 29-year-old Sterling Heights woman died Monday, May 30, from injuries sustained in a motorcycle/tow truck accident that occurred in the ITC corridor north of Canal and east of Oleander in Sterling Heights.

Leslie Ann Allen was a passenger on the motorcycle involved in the accident. Allen was transported to Henry Ford Macomb where she was pronounced dead on May 30.

Sterling Heights Police responded to the accident at approximately 4 p.m. May 30.

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Utica Van Dyke towing had been called for a private tow by the owner of a truck and travel trailer when the rig became stuck in the soft ground as he was attempting to cross the corridor from Oleander to the rear of his residence on the east side, police said. Three employees from the tow company were on scene to assist with the retrieval.  

Both Utica Van Dyke employees and independent witnesses reported that a motorcycle carrying two people came through the corridor heading south, police said. A short time later, the motorcycle came back north heading toward the cable from the wrecker, which was hooked to the vehicle that was stuck approximately 40 feet away from the wrecker, according to police. 

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A Utica Van Dyke employee attempted to stop the driver of the motorcycle; however, the driver reportedly accelerated and forced the employee to move or be struck, police said. The motorcycle then struck the cable, knocking the driver and passenger off. 

The driver, a 17-year-old male also of Sterling Heights, was transported to Troy Beaumont Hospital for treatment and then transferred to Royal Oak Hospital, where he remains in critical condition. Police have not released the driver's identity.

Police said toxicology reports will be obtained to determine if the driver or his passenger were under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 

The motorcycle was an off-road type and not equipped for on-road use. Neither the driver nor the passenger were wearing helmets, according to police.


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