The Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a now fatal crash involving a motorcycle and a passenger vehicle.

The accident happened at 7:45 p.m. Sunday on CR 6 when a motorcyclist, Michael Nunez, 33, of Elkhart, passed an Elkhart County Sheriff’s Deputy at a high rate of speed and ultimately collided with a passenger vehicle. Nunez died of his injuries at approximately 8 p.m. Monday, July 14.

According to a police report, the officer was attempting to initiate a traffic stop on a vehicle when he witnessed a red motorcycle traveling the opposite direction on CR 6 near CR 15. His radar showed the motorcycle traveling 97 mph in a 45 mph zone.

The officer turned around to try and stop the motorcycle and traveled west on CR 6.  When the officer reached CR 13 he found that the motorcycle had collided with the rear of a passenger vehicle. The passenger vehicle had been stopped in the outside lane of CR 6, at a red light, when the motorcycle approached at a high rate of speed and struck the back of the vehicle.

The officer was never close enough to attempt a traffic stop on the motorcycle, due to the speed it was traveling.

The passenger vehicle was driven by Leola Cochrane, Glastone in Elkhart. She was driving a white 2005 Chevy Impala. No injuries were reported in that vehicle.

Nunez was ejected from the motorcycle and sustained serious injuries. He was transported to Memorial Hospital of South Bend where he succumbed to his injuries.