Steeleville resident airlifted after motorcycle crash

A 32-year-old Steeleville resident was airlifted to Barnes Jewish Hospital after a one-vehicle motorcycle accident on Feb. 27.

According to the Randolph County Sheriff's Office crash report, Phillip L. Easton was driving a 2001 Harley-Davidson motorcycle northbound on North Sparta Street an eighth of a mile north of Blackstump Road when the vehicle exited the left side of the roadway.

Easton lost control of the motorcycle and it overturned, ejecting him. The report states the motorcycle travelled 224.6 feet from exiting the road to where it came to rest.

Easton was thrown an additional 15 feet. Easton's mother, Shari Easton, said in a Saturday evening Facebook post that her son suffered some broken ribs and a broken back in two places, along with some small bleeding in his spleen.

Easton was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and no motorcycle license. The accident was reported at 2:18 p.m. with Deputy Justin Baker responding.