Rickie Hess Jr. was out on his Harley late Thursday afternoon when everything changed in a second. The 52-year-old from Greenville rode south on State Route 121 near Wayne Lakes. It was about 5:30 p.m. on October 29.
A 2012 Chevrolet Equinox came the other way. Charlene Flatter, 78, from Wayne Lakes drove it north. She started a turn into the entrance for Wayne Lakes. That put her right in front of the motorcycle.
The crash hit hard. Deputies from the Darke County Sheriff’s Office got there fast. They found Rickie already gone. He was pronounced dead right at the scene.
Flatter got checked out by medics. She walked away with no major hurt. New Madison Fire and Tri-Village Rescue helped at the spot too.
The road there sits in the 3400 block of State Route 121. Investigators from the sheriff’s accident reconstruction team and the coroner’s office looked over the wreck. They still dig into what happened.
Rickie left family and friends who knew him well. A quiet stretch of road turned into the place where his ride ended. People who cared about him now deal with the sudden empty spot he left.
The case stays open while deputies put the pieces together. No one else got hurt in the wreck.
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