Investigators from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department Crash Reconstruction Unit say alcohol may have been a factor in a vehicle/motorcycle accident that killed a Lake Orion man over the weekend.
The accident occurred in Oakland Township about 9:45 p.m. on July 19, as 39-year-old Richard Valken of Lake Orion traveled westbound on Silverbell Road, west of Adams, on a 1984 Yamaha dirt bike. The bike struck a 1991 Lexus, driven by a 22-year-old West Bloomfield resident.
Valken, who was wearing a helmet, was ejected from the motorcycle and pronounced dead at Crittenton Hospital in Rochester. The driver of the Lexus and one passenger were injured and transported to POH. OCSD investigators said they are expected to recover.