Cyclist Killed in Crash With Forest Service Truck

One motorcyclist died and a second was critically injured Friday when their bikes hit a U.S. Forest Service truck that may have been driven slowly on purpose to control traffic, authorities said.

The accident was reported at 1:51 p.m. on Angeles Crest Highway, said California Highway Patrol Officer Richard Perez.

It was unclear whether the men were riding together or were racing on the winding highway, Perez said.

According to Ed Pickett, a county Fire Department supervising dispatcher, the driver of the Forest Service truck may have been going slowly deliberately to slow traffic.

The name of the motorcyclist who died, a 46-year-old Altadena man, was not released, pending notification of relatives.

The injured motorcyclist, Michael Karbacher, 50, of Burbank, was in critical condition Friday night at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena with chest and head injuries.