DES MOINES – An Iowa man was killed when his Harley-Davidson motorcycle was struck by a driver in a car, and police say charges of homicide by vehicle will be brought.
The Des Moines Police Department Traffic Unit investigated the city’s third traffic-related fatality crash of 2024. This is the second traffic-related fatality crash involving a motorcycle.
On March 30, 2024, at approximately 12:24 AM, Des Moines Police Department patrol officers and Des Moines Fire Department rescue personnel responded to E. 13th Street and E. Grand Avenue to investigate a report of a crash with injury.
First responders arrived to find a passenger car and a motorcycle that had collided within the intersection. The motorcyclist, an adult male, was pronounced deceased at the scene. He was not wearing a helmet. There were no other persons injured.
The person who died in this incident was identified as 22-year-old Des Moines resident Spencer Rush.
The preliminary investigation of this incident indicates that Rush was driving a 2015 Harley Davidson motorcycle westbound on E. Grand Avenue.
The vehicle involved, a 2022 Toyota Corolla being driven by a 35-year-old male Des Moines resident, was attempting a left turn from eastbound E. Grand Avenue to northbound E. 13th Street. Excessive speed and failure to yield were investigated as possible contributing factors.
The Des Moines Police Department Traffic Unit made an arrest in this investigation.
35-year-old Kristofer Lee Zech has been charged with the following offenses:
• Homicide By Vehicle – OWI
• Failure To Yield Upon Left Turn
Evidence in the investigation indicates that Zech failed to yield to the right of way of motorcycle being operated by Rush, resulting in the crash within the intersection.
Further evidence indicated Zech was impaired by alcohol at the time of the crash. Excessive speed was determined to not be a significant contributing factor. Zech remains jailed, pending trial.