Motorcyclist who died in Thanksgiving crash identified as Tri-Cities man
A Tri-Cities man was identified Friday as the motorcyclist killed on Thanksgiving morning.
Benton County Coroner Bill Leach identified the man who died as Nicholas Gardner, 27. He was a resident of Richland, according to his Facebook account.
His motorcycle collided with a car about 20 minutes past midnight Thursday in the intersection of Williams Boulevard and Stevens Drive. The multi-lane intersection about three blocks west of the Uptown Shopping Center is controlled by traffic lights in both directions.
Gardner was taken by ambulance to Kadlec Medical Center just a few blocks away, but did not survive, according to Richland police reports.
The driver of the car was not injured.
Neither driver was impaired, according to police, who have not released the name of the driver of the car because of the continuing investigation.
Gardner had worked at the Kensington Gold Mine in Alaska, according to his Facebook profile. He attended Richland High School and studied at the Tri-Tech Skills Center in Kennewick.
He enjoyed hunting and fishing, according to friends posting on social media.
“Soo very sad and sobering reminder of the fragility of life,” said one friend. “He enjoyed leaving his comfort zone and blossoming where he was planted.”
This story was originally published November 25, 2021 at 2:35 PM.