Update 9:50 a.m. Wednesday
Billings police reported Wednesday morning the 30-year-old motorcyclist has died as a result of injuries received in the crash.
The man's name has not been released.
6/28 23-42888 *Update* On 6/27 the male driver of the motorcycle passed away due to the injuries received in the crash. The investigation is now being investigated as a fatal crash by the BPD crash team. - Lt. Lennick https://t.co/ISVH6gLO4y
— BillingsPD (@BillingsPD) June 28, 2023
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BILLINGS - A 30-year-old Billings man was taken to the hospital with what Billings police called critical injuries Monday evening after he was rear-ended while driving his motorcycle on Shiloh Road.
The car that hit the man was driven by an 18-year-old woman and contained other passengers. She was not arrested, but the crash remains under investigation, according to Billings police.
Brian Casteel lives near the crash site and hurried to the scene when he heard it happen.
“Right as I got to the end of the driveway, I heard the crash, and I didn’t hear brakes or anything like that," Casteel said. "It sounded like the sound of someone that needed help."
Casteel captured the aftermath of the crash with a dash camera in his vehicle. The video, which he provided to MTN News, showed the man lying in the street and his crushed motorcycle sitting about 20 feet away.
Casteel said when he got to the scene, he used his car to help block off the road until the authorities arrived. According to Casteel, the incident started when the passengers of the vehicle stole a grill and attempted to speed away from the scene.
"Somebody had gotten out of that car and stole a grill that their neighbor had set down," Casteel said. "They tried to speed away from the scene and basically crashed immediately."
Billings police Lt. Matt Lennick confirmed that the suspected theft is a part of the investigation.
Casteel fears the worst for the motorcyclist and said that it's just the most recent example of reckless driving in Billings.
"It's just kind of the way things are anymore," Casteel said, adding, "This is the reason I have a dash camera on my truck."