Stagecoach man dies after wrecking motorcycle

A 60-year-old Stagecoach man was killed Monday his motorcycle crashed on a winding stretch of road between Storey and Lyon counties.

James Henry Owens was pronounced dead at the scene after crashing his westbound Harley-Davidson about noon just inside the Storey County line at the bottom of Six Mile Canyon Road.

Storey County Sheriff's Sgt. Bill Leery said no one witnessed the accident, but a motorist happened on the scene shortly after Owens lost control on a curve.

Paramedics worked unsuccessfully to revive the Nevada Department of Transportation worker.

"They were getting ready to transport him when he expired," Leery said. "They worked vigorously on him, but he was gone."

Leery said the motorcycle was new. "It wasn't even licensed yet," he said.

The cause of death is pending an autopsy, he said.

According to Leery's preliminary investigation Owens may have been going too fast.

"My calculations say speed was a big factor."

The accident remains under investigation.

Scott Magruder, spokesman for the Nevada Department of Transportation, said Owens worked less than a year as a highway maintenance worker for NDOT.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of Mr. Owens," Magruder said.

Contact F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.