On the day of Oyster run, Whatcom motorcycle rider struck and killed by another rider
CORRECTION: UPDATE: The Washington State Patrol issued two corrections Monday, Sept. 26, about which rider reportedly ran a red light, the intersection where the crash occurred and the narrative of what happened in the crash.
A Whatcom County motorcycle rider was killed after he reportedly was struck by another motorcycle that ran a red light Sunday afternoon on State Route 20 in Skagit County.
The fatal crash occurred on the day of the 39th Oyster Run, an annual ride that draws motorcyclists from across the region to Anacortes.
Robert C. Bray, 64 of Blaine, died in a two-vehicle crash that occurred at approximately 2:44 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25, near the intersection of State Route 20 and Bayview Edison Road, according to a news release from the Washington State Patrol.
Michael E. Icenhour, 30 of Snohomish, was riding a 2019 Yamaha MT07 westbound in the right lane of State Route 20 shortly before the crash, according to the release.
As Icenhour approached the intersection with Bayview Edison Road, the release states he changed lanes into the right turn lane and failed to stop at the red light.
Icenhour’s motorcycle then collided with a 2018 Yamaha FJR1300 that Bray was riding eastbound on Highway 20 at the time, according to the release. Bray had a green left turn arrow to go northbound on Bayview Edison Road at the time, the release states.
Both riders were wearing helmets, according to the release, and Bray was taken to Island Health in Anacortes, where he later died.
Icenhour was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center to receive treatment for his injuries, according to the release.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, according to the State Patrol, and it is unknown if drugs or alcohol were involved.
According to the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Crash Data Portal, Sunday’s fatal crash is the 17th involving a motorcycle this year in the Northwest Region, which encompasses Whatcom, Skagit, Island, Snohomish and King counties. That’s already eclipsed the 13 motorcycle-related fatal crashes resulting in 14 deaths within the region in 2021.
This story was originally published September 26, 2022 at 7:42 AM with the headline "On the day of Oyster run, Whatcom motorcycle rider struck and killed by another rider."
