By Colin Warren-Hicks
The Herald-Sun
BAHAMA, N.C. — Two Durham police officers and one Durham County Sheriff’s Office deputy, each riding a motorcycle, were involved in a crash at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday in on South Lowell Road near Terry Road.
The State Highway Patrol said its preliminary investigation revealed a 2013 Harley Davidson operated by Durham County Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Aiken was traveling north on South Lowell Road when Aiken lost control, traveled onto the northbound shoulder and struck a ditch.
As a result of that, two Durham police officers traveling with Aiken also lost control of their motorcycles. Officer Larry Cox, who was operating a 2013 Harley Davidson, traveled off onto the northbound shoulder, struck a ditch, and overturned. Officer Miguel De Vera Rodriguez, who was operating a 2015 Harley Davidson, traveled off onto the northbound shoulder, struck a utility pole support wire, and overturned.
Aiken and Cox sustained minor injuries. Rodriguez sustained serious but non-life threatening injuries.
All three drivers were transported to Duke Medical Center.
Durham Sheriff Mike Andrews said the three officers had ridden together for years and had just left an assignment as a funeral procession escort when they crashed.
His office said the three were practicing motorcycle formations when the accident occurred.
“Years of experience has taught me not to speculate about why a collision happened too soon,” Andrews said. “Specialists come in and reconstruct what happened, the years have taught me. Scuff marks, yawl marks — I leave it to those guys.”
Andrews said, “The call came in. I know those guys. I’ve know those guys for a long time. The first thing you think is about is them and then their families. Are they OK?”
The Highway Patrol took over the investigation and around 5 p.m. Tuesday its helicopter swept the fields surrounding the crash site and over the wreckage snapping photographs of the crash site.
No cause has been given for the accident.
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©2017 The Herald-Sun (Durham, N.C.)