UPDATE: Motorcycle Rider Killed in Crash

By Todd Pittenger April 22, 2026

A motorcycle rider who was killed in a single-vehicle crash near Ellsworth has been identified.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, 65-year-old William Byrd of Ellsworth was riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle headed west on K 140 Highway. The bike went off the road into the north ditch and struck a culvert. It then went airborne, throwing the driver off the motorcycle.

Byrd, who was wearing a helmet, died at the scene.

The crash happened Tuesday afternoon at 1:10 on K 140 Highway, a mile east of K 156 Highway, in Ellsworth County.

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ORIGINAL: A motorcycle rider was killed in a single-vehicle crash on K 140 Highway near Ellsworth.

According to the Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office, the crash happened  at 1:19 Tuesday afternoon.

A motorcycle rider who was headed east left the road and crashed in the north ditch. The rider was wearing a helmet.

First responders from the Kansas Highway Patrol, Ellsworth Police Department, Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office, Ellsworth County EMS, Ellsworth County Fire, and EagleMed / MedTrans Global Medical all responded.
The victim’s name was not immediately released.

Photos via Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office