Pagan Motorcycle Club member injured in crash

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MCs in the News

UPPER POTTSGROVE — A Reading area man was flown to Reading Hospital and Medical Center Saturday afternoon with serious injuries after crashing his motorcycle on Route 100.

The man, identified by police as D. Rohrbach, in his late 50s, was one of 10 to 15 motorcycle riders with the Pagan Motorcycle Club driving north on Route 100. The group was just south of Moyer Road around 2:20 p.m. when Rohrbach crashed.

"Apparently there was some kind of vehicle failure," said officer James Crawford with the Upper Pottsgrove police. "According to witnesses, he had problems with his rear brakes which caused him to veer into the guide rail."

Crawford said a witness traveling directly behind "the pack" of bikers said they saw Rohrbach's brakes lock up and he started to swerve before crashing.

Crawford confirmed the crash involved only the motorcycle operated by Rohrbach; although, it wasn't initially reported as a single-vehicle crash.

"It came out as a couple vehicles a motorcycle versus a truck," Crawford said. "When we got out there we found out it was just a single vehicle."

Sources indicated Rohrbach suffered serious head injuries; police said he was wearing a helmet.

A spokesperson at Reading Hospital and Medical Center said Rohrbach was in the operating room Saturday afternoon. Around 8:30 p.m. a hospital spokesperson said he was in critical condition.

Route 100 north was closed between North State Street and Moyer Road for about 25 minutes, as the crash was cleared, until 2:45 p.m.

Crawford said the motorcycle Rohrbach was riding was in possession of the Pagan Motorcycle Club Saturday immediately after the crash.

"There was a follower (behind the group of motorcyclists) in a pickup truck and they went ahead and took custody of the bike," Crawford said.

"They were a local motorcycle gang out of Reading, out enjoying the day, out enjoying the weather," Crawford said when asked where the motorcyclists were heading when the crash occurred.

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