Highway Patrol names motorcyclist who died in crash on US 95

A motorcyclist died and his passenger was hospitalized early Sunday after a crash near downtown Las Vegas.

Shortly before 2 a.m., Nevada Highway Patrol received a call of a motorcycle crash in the northbound lanes of U.S. Highway 95 near Eastern Avenue, agency spokeswoman Ashlee Wellman said Sunday.

A man was riding a black Yamaha sports bike when, for unknown reasons, the bike went down on the highway and ejected him and the woman who was riding as his passenger, she said.

When the motorcycle went down, a gray Nissan Altima that was driving behind it struck the bike and the operator, Wellman said. The man operating the motorcycle died at the scene.

Nevada Highway Patrol on Wednesday identified him as Ricardo Abrego, of Las Vegas. He was 47.

The passenger was taken to University Medical Center with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, Wellman said.

Wellman said the driver of the Nissan, which she initially described as a Versa, was cooperative with investigators early Sunday.

Officials do not know what caused the crash or whether impairment played a role, she said.

Contact Blake Apgar at bapgar@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5298. Follow @blakeapgar on Twitter.