A man died in a motorcycle crash on Christmas in Denver. The motorcycle was later confirmed to have been stolen.

The Colorado State Patrol responded to a single-vehicle crash on westbound Interstate 76, just west of Interstate 25 in north Denver, around 2:30 p.m., a spokesperson from CSP told The Denver Gazette.

A 48-year-old driver was found at the scene and was immediately pronounced dead. The motorcycle had no license plate.

The motorcycle was later confirmed to have been reported stolen, CSP said.

Westbound I-76 was shut down between 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. for investigations, and the overall investigation into the crash is ongoing.

The identity of the man will be released later by the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner, pending an autopsy and family notification.

An estimated 115 motorcycle riders died on Colorado roads between January and November 2025, according to Colorado Department of Transportation records and news reports.

The state record was 165 motorcyclist fatalities in 2024, Colorado State Patrol data shows. Marking a 60% increase from the 103 in 2018, based on Fatal Analysis Reporting System data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which provides finalized statistics through 2023.

Motorcycle deaths now account for 24% of all traffic fatalities in the state, though motorcycles comprise just 3% of registered vehicles. State patrol data shows 44% of those killed in 2024 were not wearing helmets.

Jerry Bowman, founder of Denver-based Bowman Law, which has specialized in Colorado motorcycle law for more than 13 years, previously told The Denver Gazette that the increase is largely driven by inattentive drivers and motorcyclists who misunderstand the law — particularly the distinction between lane splitting, which remains illegal in Colorado, and lane filtering, which has been legal for more than a year.

“A lot of motorists, they just don’t appreciate the fact that there’s people driving anything other than vehicles and they’re just looking for vehicles,” Bowman said. “And so, oftentimes, they miss (seeing) pedestrians, they miss cyclists, they miss motorcyclists. I don’t want to try to shift the blame and the responsibility to the driver, but they also have responsibility.”

“Wearing a helmet and riding within your limits are the best ways to prevent serious injury or death in a crash,” said Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol, in a news November release. “It’s imperative to gear up and practice skills before riding in live traffic or taking a scenic drive. Motorists should also remember to look twice and give motorcyclists extra space. In a collision with a car, they will always be on the losing side.”

Regarding the Christmas incident, it’s still unknown the factors that may have caused the crash or if the driver was wearing a helmet.

The Denver Gazette reporter Scott Weiser contributed to this report