Motorcyclist Killed After Losing Control on Lake Shore Drive in Lincoln Park

A motorcyclist died Saturday night after a crash that threw him over a highway barrier and into the path of an oncoming car on DuSable Lake Shore Drive in Chicago.

Chicago police said the crash happened just after 7:20 p.m. in the 2200 block of North DuSable Lake Shore Drive, in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. A 20-year-old man was riding northbound when he lost control of the motorcycle and hit a barrier separating the northbound and southbound lanes, police said.

The impact threw him over the barrier and into a southbound lane, where a passing vehicle struck him, according to police. He suffered multiple injuries and was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Police had not released his name as of Saturday night.

The driver of the vehicle that struck him remained at the scene, and no other injuries were reported. Chicago police's Major Accidents Unit is handling the investigation, which is standard procedure for crashes involving a fatality on the city's expressways and arterial roads.

DuSable Lake Shore Drive runs along Lake Michigan for roughly 16 miles through lakefront neighborhoods on the North and South Sides. The stretch near the 2200 block sits close to North Avenue Beach and the Lincoln Park Zoo, both of which see heavy foot and vehicle traffic on summer weekends.

The roadway mixes high speed limits with sharp curves, at-grade pedestrian crossings and limited barriers in some sections. The Chicago Department of Transportation has discussed redesigning parts of the drive to slow traffic, though major construction has focused mostly on the roadway's southern stretch near McCormick Place rather than the northern segment where Saturday's crash happened.

Motorcycle crashes make up a disproportionate share of Chicago's traffic deaths relative to the number of motorcycles on the road. Illinois Department of Transportation data has repeatedly shown that motorcyclists face far higher fatality rates per mile traveled than occupants of passenger vehicles. The department has said the gap comes from the lack of protective structure around riders and the difficulty other drivers have spotting motorcycles in traffic.

Police have not said whether speed, road conditions or another factor contributed to the initial loss of control. The Major Accidents Unit will examine how the rider came to hit the barrier and whether the driver who struck him after he crossed into the southbound lane had any chance to avoid him.

No citations had been announced as of Saturday night, and police said the case remains open. Anyone with information about the crash has been asked to contact Chicago police.