One person died after a motorcycle and car collided Thursday on U.S.17 Bypass, in a crash that stalled traffic for hours and resulted in the first death along the Grand Strand during the Cruisin' the Coast spring rally.
Three motorcycle-related deaths were recorded during the 2009 spring rally, according to Lance Cpl. Sonny Collins with the S.C. Highway Patrol.
James Marlow, 28, of Ocala, Fla., died at 5:45 p.m. Thursday due to multiple trauma he suffered from the wreck, said Horry County Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard.
Marlow was driving a 2007 Harley-Davidson motorcycle with a woman passenger, who was taken to Grand Strand Regional Medical Center, said Lance Cpl. Paul Brouthers with the S.C. Highway Patrol. The woman was still being evaluated at Grand Strand Regional late Thursday night and was listed as stable, according to hospital officials.
No charges have been filed because the Highway Patrol's Multi-Disciplinary Accident Investigation Team are investigating the crash, Collins said Friday.
The incident happened around 5 p.m. Thursday on U.S.17 Bypass near Shetland Lane, as the motorcycle was heading northbound in the left lane on U.S.17 Bypass, and slowed down to make a left turn when it was struck from behind by a 1987 Oldsmobile, Brouthers said.
The driver of the Oldsmobile, an 18-year-old Myrtle Beach woman, was not injured, Brouthers said. Marlow was not wearing a helmet. It is unclear whether Marlow'spassenger was wearing a helmet.
Marlow's brother, Brian Marlow, said the passenger was his brother's girlfriend, Heather Cook, and that the two were in Myrtle Beach for the motorcycle rally.
"I talked to him two days ago," Brian Marlow said. "He told me he was in Myrtle Beach. They go there frequently."
Brian Marlow said his brother, who recently had a birthday, "was a great guy. He was taken too young."
Thursday's accident forced police to shut down the northbound lanes of U.S. 17 Bypass near Shetland Lane.
The wrecked motorcycle and pieces of it lay in the median with the Oldsmobile with front left-side damage was nearby. Family members consoled the driver of the Oldsmobile as police worked the scene.
Thursday's wreck comes two days after two motorcyclists who were in Myrtle Beach for the spring rally were killed on a day trip to Charleston, according to the Charleston Post and Courier.
The men were driving south on U.S.17 in Charleston about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday when they stopped in traffic and a sports utility vehicle failed to stop, hit the motorcycles from behind and pushed them into the back of another vehicle.
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