YOUR AD HERE »

Aspen man dies early Tuesday after motorcycle crash on Highway 82 near Emma

Jason Auslander
The Aspen Times
Alex Sills
Courtesy photo/Facebook

Alexander Sills has been identified by the Pitkin County Coroner’s Office as the 30-year-old Aspen man who died Tuesday morning after apparently losing control of his motorcycle on Highway 82.

Emergency dispatchers received a call at 1:17 a.m. about a motorcycle with the light on in the upvalley lanes just before the Emma Schoolhouse, Roaring Fork Fire Rescue Chief Scott Thompson said Tuesday morning.



When a crew arrived, they found Sills near the bike path where he’d been thrown, Thompson said. Sills was pronounced dead at the scene, which was turned over to the Colorado State Patrol, Thompson said.

Sills was heading east on Highway 82 in the left, upvalley lane and appeared to lose control when the road curves left near the Emma Schoolhouse, according to CSP Trooper Josh Lewis and Thompson.



Sills went off the right side of the road, hit the guardrail and was ejected from the motorcycle, Lewis said. His body was found in the bike path next to the highway, while the motorcycle remained in the road, Lewis said. 

Alcohol, drugs and speed are being investigated as factors in the crash, Lewis said. No other information was available Tuesday morning while the accident remained under investigation, he said. 

Pitkin County Deputy Coroner Michael Buglione identified Sills as the victim after his family had been notified Tuesday.

Sills was from Australia, according to his Facebook page, and was the owner of Sopris Window Cleaning. He also worked at New York Pizza for the past eight years on the Hyman pedestrian mall.

No one involved could say whether the man was wearing a helmet, though Buglione said a helmet was found at the crash scene. 

This is a developing story that will be updated.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Glenwood Springs and Garfield County make the Post Independent’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.