The Scotts Bluff County Sheriff’s Office says a Scottsbluff man missing overnight Sunday had actually died in a motorcycle crash near Gering. The body of 31-year old Madison Hicks was found late Monday afternoon.
Sheriff’s Sgt Mark Bliss says Hicks’ family called a little before 4:00 pm Monday to say he hadn’t returned from a Sunday motorcycle ride to Kimball.
While deputies were still gathering information for a missing person report, a call came in about a motorcycle being spotted off the roadway along Hwy 71 south of Gering and north of Wildcat Estates.
Sgt Bliss says when deputies arrived at the scene, they found Hicks’ body. An accident investigation showed Hicks was southbound when he failed to negotiate a curve, went through the median and across the northbound lanes.
The motorcycle then ran off the pavement to the left and Hicks was thrown from the bike. He was wearing a helmet, but Bliss says it appears the helmet was not properly secured. Excessive speed is being investigated as a contributing factor.