July is Deadly Month for Motorcyclists in Minn.

July 15--A motorcyclist crashed in northwestern Minnesota over the weekend and was killed, extending a rash of fatalities among riders in Minnesota this summer, authorities said Monday.

The latest death occurred Saturday and claimed the life of Eric Erickson, 47, who lived near Erskine, Minn., according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

Erickson was riding north on Polk County Road 4 south of Lengby when his motorcycle went off the road to the right and rolled numerous times, the Sheriff's Office said.

His death was at least the seventh in the first 13 days of July among riders in Minnesota and the 28th so far this year. Ten riders were killed in June.

The 55 deaths in all of 2012 were the most since 2008.

Other statistics for 2013 from the Department of Public Safety: Of the 23 motorcycle fatalities for which details on helmets were available, 16 riders were not wearing helmets; about half of the fatal motorcycle crashes this year involved another vehicle.

The State Patrol on Monday also identified the motorcyclist who died last week after colliding with a large SUV in Scott County. Denise M. Sames, 49, of Glencoe, Minn., died about 5 hours after the crash Thursday morning at County Road 9 and 190th Street in Jordan, the patrol said.

At about 9 a.m., a Lincoln Navigator was turning left from northbound County Road 9 onto 190th, according to the patrol. The oncoming motorcycle clipped the right front side of the SUV. Sames, who was not wearing a helmet, was taken in an air ambulance to Hennepin County Medical Center and died there in the afternoon.

The SUV driver, Henry A. Mendez, 35, of Shakopee, was not hurt.

Paul Walsh --612-673-4482

Copyright 2013 - Star Tribune (Minneapolis)