Cleburne County, AL – A motorcycle crash that occurred earlier this month in Cleburne County has claimed the life of an Ashville woman.
According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), the single-vehicle crash happened at approximately 2:48 p.m. on Sunday, March 1, along Alabama 281 near the 242-mile marker, about eight miles north of Oxford in Cleburne County.
Rachel M. Smith, 34, of Ashville, was critically injured when the 2024 BMW S1000 RR motorcycle she was riding as a passenger left the roadway and struck a guardrail. Following the initial impact, Smith and the operator of the motorcycle, Ricky W. Mickle, 35, also of Ashville, were both thrown from the vehicle.
Emergency responders airlifted both individuals to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Hospital for medical treatment.
Authorities said Smith succumbed to her injuries on Thursday, March 12, while hospitalized at UAB.
Troopers with ALEA’s Highway Patrol Division are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash. No additional information has been released at this time.
