FRESNO - The man riding a motorcycle who crashed and died after evading a Fresno County Sheriff’s deputy has been identified as 46 year old Robert Cooper of Clovis.
Just after midnight on Wednesday, a Fresno County Sheriff’s deputy activated his lights and siren in an attempt to make a traffic stop on a motorcycle rider at the intersection of Van Ness and Gettysburg Avenues in Fresno. The rider, later identified as Robert Cooper, refused to pull over. Instead, he sped away, reaching speeds over 90 mph.
After traveling five miles in five minutes, deputies cancelled their pursuit of Cooper. The Fresno Police Department’s helicopter, Air 1, then took over by following Cooper. A short time later, Cooper crashed into a fence near McKinley and West Avenues. Deputies and EMS personnel arrived and attempted CPR on Cooper, but he died.
Fresno Police’s traffic collision reconstruction unit later responded to conduct an investigation.
