Motorcyclist Driving Stolen Bike Dead After Hartford Crash: Police

A 27-year-old man died after the stolen motorcycle he was driving collided with another vehicle on Franklin Avenue in Hartford Wednesday, according to police.

Police identified the motorcyclist as 27-year-old Brian Rivera Morales, of Hartford. They said he was driving a 2006 Honda CBR600 that was reported stolen to the New York Police Department on Tuesday and collided with another vehicle in the area of Franklin Avenue and Elliott Street.

When crews arrived, the motorcycle and part of the other vehicle were on fire.

Morales was not wearing a helmet, suffered severe injuries and died at Hartford Hospital, police said. His license had been suspended on May 11, according to police.

The driver of the second vehicle involved remained at the scene and was taken to the hospital for evaluation. The Hartford Police Crime Scene Division is investigating. Franklin Avenue was closed in the area but has reopened.

Hartford police said a lot of people witnessed the crash and many tried to help.

"The incident was captured on our C4 cameras in the city and we do have our accident reconstruction teams here. They're going to look at a lot of things, speed, weather, traffic conditions, vehicular traffic, pedestrian traffic, if there was alcohol or drug intoxication that may have been a part of it as well so it's going to be a long road, long process in regards to coming to a proper conclusion, determination as to why the accident occurred," said Hartford Police Lt. Paul Cicero.