New Mexico State Police are investigating a single vehicle motorcycle crash that claimed the life of a Luna County (NM) Sheriff's Office Lieutenant late Saturday evening, reports the Deming Headlight .
According to an initial NMSP report, at around 10 p.m., officers investigated a motorcycle crash on Pine Street and New Mexico Highway 549 (old Las Cruces Highway) in Deming. A motorcycle driven by Lt. Richard Cowles, 51, was traveling eastbound on Pine Street toward NM 549. Cowles failed to navigate a curve in the roadway and struck a curb in the median, causing the motorcycle to crash. Cowles was ejected and sustained fatal injuries from the crash.