Motorcyclist dies, 2 others hurt in crash with pickup on State Road 38

NEW CASTLE, Ind. (WISH) – A motorcyclist died and two others were injured after a Tuesday crash involving a group of motorcycles and a pickup, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office said. 

Motorcyclist Joshua Hinton of New Castle died Tuesday night, Sheriff’s Maj. Jay Davis said Wednesday.

The crash was reported about 5:25 p.m. Tuesday on State Road 38 near South County Road 600 East. That’s about 4 miles east of New Castle. The state highway was closed for about four hours while the crash was investigated.

The sheriff’s major said a preliminary investigation indicated four motorcycles were traveling together and westbound on State Road 38 when one motorcyclist, Bobby Miller of New Castle, stopped to pick up a hat that had blown off another rider earlier. 

Hinton had his cruise control set and locked his brakes up, which caused the motorcycle to begin to slide sideways. It clipped the back of Miller’s motorcycle. The impact threw Hinton from his bike and into an oncoming Dodge Ram Pickup driven by Raymond Rigaud of Hagerstown. Rigaud was not hurt in the crash.

Hinton and Miller each were flown by medical helicopters to St Vincent Indianapolis Trauma Center for medical treatment.

Another motorcycle being driven by Curtis Thompson of New Castle slid into the wrecked and downed bikes; he was thrown into the ditch. Thompson was transported by ambulance to Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie. 

The conditions of the other injured motorcyclists was not immediately known.

Devin Goble of New Castle drove the fourth motorcycle; he was not hurt.