Crash kills Lakewood man but off-duty policeman escapes uninjured

LAKEWOOD – Police Friday identified a motorcyclist killed in a Thursday afternoon crash as Guy Petersen of Lakewood.

Petersen, 50, died after his motorcycle collided with a pickup truck driven by an off-duty Lakewood policeman. The policeman, Robert Dethlefs, was not injured in the accident, said LPD spokesman Steve Davis.

Initial reports indicate Petersen was riding northbound on South Wadsworth Boulevard at West Mississippi Avenue when he apparently tried to turn left onto West Mississippi, but turned into  the path of Dethlefs Toyota pickup truck, which was headed south, Davis said.

Davis said Dethlefs, who had just left work after his shift when the accident happened about 4 p.m., was driving his own vehicle.

Department has identified a man who died in a traffic accident Thursday afternoon as 50-year-old Guy Petersen (02-28-60) of Lakewood. The accident occurred at the intersection of West Mississippi Avenue & South Wadsworth Blvd at about 4:00 pm.

There were no passengers in the truck or on the motorcycle.

Petersen was pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly after the crash.

Davis said investigators are trying to determine what might have contributed to the accident.