Man Killed in Motorcycle-Moose Collision on Route 7
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — A 20-year-old motorcyclist was killed Thursday night after striking a moose on Route 7 in Great Barrington, an incident that triggered a subsequent two-car collision in the northbound lane.
On Thursday, Oct. 2, at 10:17 p.m. a 911 call was placed reporting a motorcycle collision on Route 7 between the Great Barrington Recycling Center and the Monument Mountain Trustees Reservation parking lot. The motorcyclist was later identified as Wyeth Curtis of Great Barrington, who was operating a Kawasaki.
When law enforcement arrived, they discovered both the motorcyclist and a moose on the pavement in the southbound lane. Initial investigations showed that a moose stepped onto the southbound lane and was struck by the motorcyclist. Early investigations show that both the moose and the motorcyclist died from the impact. The moose appeared to have fallen at the point of impact. The motorcyclist struck the pavement just south of the moose.
Based on evidence from the scene, the motorcycle (without a driver) continued to travel south after the collision, eventually coming to rest in the northbound lane. This caused the collision between a Subaru Forester and a Honda Civic in the northbound lane, according to police.
Curtis was a graduate of Berkshire Waldorf High School. Berkshire Bike and Board in Great Barrington posted on its Facebook page that Curtis was a "valued team member, friend, and fellow rider."
"His enthusiasm and willingness to help out anyone that walked through the door was always present. He was a vibrant spirit, a passionate biker, and someone whose presence lit up our space," the store wrote.
Law enforcement and emergency response included Southern Berkshire EMS; state troopers and the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Berkshire District Attorney's Office, and the State Police Collision Analysis Reconstruction Section.
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