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BOULDER, Garfield County — A Colorado man died when he struck a falling tree with his motorcycle Saturday, safety officials said.

Edgar E. Riecke, 69, of Durango, Colo., was traveling north on state Route 12 between Boulder and Torrey, Wayne County, around 12:40 p.m. when he crashed into an aspen tree while it was falling.

The tree had been cut down by a group of Boy Scouts gathering firewood and had a permit to fell the tree, Utah Department of Public Safety spokesman Joe Dougherty said.

A passerby called 911, but Riecke, who was wearing a helmet, was pronounced dead at the scene by a doctor who was with the Boy Scout group.

Investigators believe the accident was “a case of unfortunate timing,” Dougherty said.

Contributing: Kyle Spencer

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