SMYRNA, DE – A 59-year-old man from Clayton was killed early Friday after his motorcycle crashed off Smyrna-Leipsic Road, Delaware State Police said.

The crash happened around 4:16 a.m. when the man was riding a Yamaha X1A eastbound on Smyrna-Leipsic Road, east of Big Oak Road. According to investigators, the motorcycle failed to negotiate a curve, veered off the south edge of the roadway, and struck a culvert pipe in a ditch. The rider was ejected from the bike.

He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His name has not yet been released pending notification of relatives.

Smyrna-Leipsic Road was shut down for several hours while police conducted an on-scene investigation.

The Delaware State Police Troop 3 Collision Reconstruction Unit is leading the investigatio

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