OSP IDs motorcyclist badly hurt in Hwy. 216 crash

Oregon State Police released the name Monday a 45-year-old Gresham man who was critically injured in a crash on state Highway 216 near Warm Springs when his motorcycle’s saddle bag slid off and got caught in the rear wheel.

Troopers said Arthur Brandon Kem was heading east on the highway, located at the north end of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, around 11:45 a.m. Sunday when the saddle bag slid off and got caught in the motorcycle’s rear wheel, causing him to lose control and crash.

Kem, who had been wearing a helmet, was flown to St. Charles Bend with severe head injuries, troopers said. He remained in critical condition Monday at the hospital, a spokeswoman said.

The crash closed the highway for about three hours, until one lane was reopened; the other lane opened about an hour later. The crash remains under investigation, troopers said Monday.

OSP was assisted at the scene by the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office, Juniper Flat Rural Fire Department, South Wasco County Ambulance Service and ODOT.