Cause and effect

[cactusjack]

I live just a few miles from this area. The road he was on is very rough, at least it was the last time I rode on it.

Motorcyclist clocked at 157 mph before crashing in San Tan Valley

Authorities say a critically injured motorcyclist from Tempe was traveling 157 mph moments before he hit a pole in the San Tan Valley area.

The motorcyclist whizzed past a Pinal County sheriff's deputy at 2:05 a.m. Sunday while driving north on Gantzel Road near Pecan Creek Drive, according to a Sheriff's Office statement. The posted speed limit is 45 mph.

Tim Gaffney, a Sheriff's Office spokesman, said Tuesday that the deputy didn't have time to initiate a pursuit: The motorcyclist was quickly out of sight. By the time the deputy caught up with him, the motorcycle had crashed into a traffic light pole about four miles away.

Authorities identified the driver as 19-year-old Noe Calazo, of Tempe. Colazo was flown to Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Medical Center in extremely critical condition.

Crash investigators say Colazo lost control of the motorcycle, a 2004 Yamaha YFR, at a gradual turn in the roadway.

The motorcycle traveled nearly 350 feet through the dirt shoulder before colliding with the concrete base of a traffic light, launching Calazo 104 feet away and the motorcycle 18 feet into a nearby power pole, the sheriff's statement said.

The Sheriff's Office said Colazo was driving without a license; it was previously revoked. He now faces charges of aggravated DUI, reckless driving and criminal speed.