The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Misfortune List for 2011 – Crime and Punishment
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
On the remains the same front, crime and arrest statistics seem to remain pretty consistent year after year at the Sturgis Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota:
The South Dakota Highway Patrol logged the following incidents during the Sturgis motorcycle rally:
- DUI arrests: 151 (Sturgis 140, Rapid City 8, Southern Hills 2, Badlands 1)
- Misdemeanor drug arrests: 96 (Sturgis 69, Rapid City 17, Southern Hills 10)
- Felony drug arrests: 36 (Sturgis 19, Rapid City 13, Southern Hills 4)
- Other felony arrests 1 (Southern Hills)
- Total citations: 834 (Sturgis 503, Rapid City 176, Southern Hills 89, Badlands 66)
- Cash seized: $1,853 (Rapid City)
- Concealed weapons arrests: 6 (Sturgis)
- Vehicles seized: 5 (Sturgis 2, Rapid City 3)
- Injury accidents: 64 (Sturgis 33, Rapid City 14, Southern Hills 13, Badlands 4)
- Fatal accidents: 2 (Sturgis)
One thing they do seem to indicate is that you have to be pretty far over the line, damned unlucky or just plain crazy to get on the wrong side of the law in Sturgis during the annual event…
Below are the statistics as of 6:00 am Sunday August 14, 2011
Item | Sturgis | Rapid City | Southern Hills | Badlands | District Total | Last Year |
| DUI Arrests | 209 | 17 | 5 | 4 | 235 | 290 |
| Misd Drug Arrests | 113 | 22 | 14 | 0 | 149 | 183 |
| Felony Drug Arrests | 26 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 43 | 46 |
| Other Felony Arrests | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| Total Citations | 725 | 302 | 138 | 102 | 1267 | 1442 |
| Total Warnings | 3038 | 615 | 266 | 315 | 4234 | 4598 |
| Cash Seized | $0 | $1853 | $0 | $0 | $1853 | $332.00 |
| Concealed Weap. Arrests | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
| Vehicles Seized | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| For Drug Poss. | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| For Serial No. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Non Injury Accidents | 12 | 18 | 5 | 7 | 42 | 36 |
| Injury Accidents | 40 | 17 | 17 | 6 | 80 | 73 |
| Fatal Accidents | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 |
| # of Fatalities | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 |
And perhaps the most embarrassed and unlucky of them all, Donald P Colbert:
Donald P. Colbert (51) of Grand Forks, ND was traveling southbound on SD Hwy 87 near milepost 75 in CusterCounty. Colbert was riding his 2009 Kawasaki motorcycle with his daughter Allison Colbert (22) as a passenger. The motorcycle stalled while negotiating a sharp up hill right-hand curve.
The motorcycle began to roll backwards, ran off the roadway to the right, and overturned onto its right side. Both occupants were thrown off the motorcycle. Donald was wearing a helmet and received minor injuries. Allison was wearing a helmet and received serious non-life threatening injuries. Both were transported by ambulance to Custer Regional Hospital.
Alcohol and speed were not involved
Bad things can happen to you and your bike, and your insurance needs can get complicated.
We’re here to help you find the right insurance for your Harley-Davidson motorcycle…