A fatal motorcycle crash in Montgomery County, Maryland, closed the ramp from northbound Interstate 270 to westbound I-370 for more than three hours on Saturday, according to authorities.
Maryland State Police responded to reports of a motorcycle crash on the ramp shortly after 6 p.m. After arriving at the scene, troopers discovered a Harley-Davidson motorcycle with Ohio registration on its side on the right shoulder.
The driver, identified as Jonathan M Thompson, 45, from Moraine, Ohio, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The passenger of the motorcycle was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
According to preliminary findings, while taking the ramp to merge onto westbound I-370, the motorcycle traveled to the right shoulder and onto a gravel portion of the shoulder, striking two street signs and part of the guardrail face.
Witnesses told police that an unidentified black passenger car cut off the motorcycle, causing to it to travel onto the right shoulder. The witnesses added that the car did not strike the motorcycle.
Police do not believe that weather and alcohol were contributing factors in the collision.
The ramp to westbound I-370 was closed for about three and a half hours, authorities said.
Anyone with further information about the collision is encouraged to call the MSP Rockville Barrack at 301-424-2101.
Below is map of where the crash occurred.
