2 motorcyclists die after crashing into each other on Sunday night

PHOENIX — Two motorcyclists died after a fatal crash on Sunday night in east Tucson.

Officers arrived at the scene of the crime near Speedway Boulevard and Houghton Road at around 2:30 a.m.

Both riders were declared dead at the scene, according to a news release from the Tucson Police Department.

Neither 48-year-old Andrew Machalik nor 38-year-old Adam Robert Gregory were wearing a helmet when they crashed into one another, police said.

Before the accident, Gregory had been driving ahead of Machalik on his black and white 2017 Yamaha SCR950 motorcycle.

Both riders had been traveling eastbound on Wrightstown Road. Gregory successfully navigated a tricky curve of the road where Wrightstown turned into Harrison Road, police said. Then, he started riding southbound.

“Mr. Machalik failed to negotiate the curve appropriately, drifted into the center lane, struck the concrete barrier in the center of the roadway and ultimately collided with the rear of Mr. Gregory’s motorcycle,” Tucson police said.

Authorities said Machalik’s failure to reduce speed and control his vehicle was one of the reasons the two riders crashed.

“Detectives are working on determining if excessive speed is also a factor,” according to the press release. The riders’ next of kin have been notified.