The Riverside County coroner’s office Saturday named the 35-year-old man who died in a crash at a Hemet intersection while speeding through a red light on a suspected stolen motorcycle as he fled authorities even after the pursuit was ended over concerns about public safety.
Cody Atchley of Nuevo died at Hemet Global Medical Center just over an hour after the collision, which happened at about 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Florida and Lyon avenues, according to the coroner’s office.
Lt. Eric Dickson of the Hemet Police Department said Atchley was spotted riding a green sport motorcycle westbound on Mayberry Avenue, racing past a stop sign at Panorama Drive, where a motorcycle patrolman was conducting speed enforcement.
The officer followed the biker and signaled him to stop, but the man “immediately accelerated away at a very high rate of speed,” the lieutenant said. He said the patrolman did not want to continue the pursuit in increasingly heavy traffic and backed out, but Atchley did not slow down and turned north on Lyon.
Dickson said Atchley plowed through the intersection of Florida and Acacia avenues going “speeds estimated to be significantly greater than 70 mph.”
When he reached Florida and Lyon, Atchley was facing a red traffic signal, but didn’t yield, according to Dickson.
“The rider struck a white PT Cruiser driving west on Florida in the No. 1 lane in a broadside collision,” Dickson said. “The collision caused the PT Cruiser to veer into the No. 2 lane, colliding into a Hyundai. The rider was ejected from the motorcycle and landed on top of a Ford that was stopped, facing south in the southbound lane of Lyon.”
The motor officer arrived at the location moments later and called for paramedics and other assistance, the lieutenant said.
The PT Cruiser driver suffered a minor injury to one of his wrists and was also taken for treatment, according to the police spokesman.
No one else was hurt.
Dickson said the motorcycle was confirmed stolen from within the city on Wednesday.