SOUTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The Lehigh County Coroner’s Office has issued a plea for road safety after investigating eight motorcycle crash fatalities so far this year.
Coroner Dan Buglio penned a note in a news release Friday saying the eight fatalities follow a total of 12 such fatalities in 2024. There also were seven fatalities in 2023, he said.
Buglio said motorcycle fatalities continue to rise in the county, highlighting two fatal crash investigations on Aug. 3.
Stanley Aviles-Espaillat, 25, of Allentown, was fatally injured when his motorcycle collided with a car in the 300 block of West Tilghman Street in the city about 3:20 a.m., Buglio said.
Aviles-Espaillat was pronounced dead at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Muhlenberg a few hours later.
And at 11:15 a.m. the same day, Buglio said his office was called after authorities responded to a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 78 East near mile marker 58.9 in Salisbury Township.
Gavin Long, 20, of Middle Paxton Township, Dauphin County, was found lying in the roadway following a collision with an SUV and a tractor-trailer.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
'Please drive safely'
Buglio said he fears what another few days of sunny skies and warm temperatures might bring.
“With the approaching weekend and the prediction of beautiful weather, there is no doubt we will see an increase in motorcycles on the road, along with an additional rise in scooters and bicycles,” Buglio said.
“I am asking every motorist and motorcyclist to be vigilant. Please drive safely, stay undistracted, and follow the speed limit.
“Speeding and careless driving are often contributing factors to these crashes. I would love to have a weekend free of crash-related deaths, and I am certain families would appreciate their loved ones returning home safely."
Buglio said of the eight fatalities, six riders were wearing helmets.
Motorcycle crash statistics
According to the National Safety Council, motorcyclists accounted for 15.5% of all traffic fatalities and 3.4% of all injuries in 2023 — the latest year for which comprehensive statistics were available.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the motorcyclist fatality rate was nearly 28 times as high as the passenger car occupant fatality rate in traffic crashes, with 31.39 motorcyclist fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2023, compared with 1.13 passenger car occupant fatalities.
In Pennsylvania, there were 3,292 motorcycle crashes reported in 2024, resulting in 219 fatalities, according to the state Department of Transportation.
It was a slight decrease from 2023, when there were 3,424 crashes and 238 fatalities.
