A 2016 Chico State graduate died Sept. 24 in a motorcycle accident.
Chico police and Butte paramedics found 24-year-old Nicole Fugate lying unconscious around 6 p.m. at the intersection of Holly Avenue and Mission Ranch Boulevard.
Fugate’s 2008 Honda cruiser motorcycle crashed into a street light pole. Butte EMS transported Fugate to a local hospital, but she died later that night.
Police closed the intersection until 1 a.m. on Sept. 25th so a special investigation team could examine the crash scene.
“The Major Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) investigation revealed that Fugate failed to negotiate the curve on Holly Avenue at the intersection of Mission Ranch Boulevard, lost control of the motorcycle and slid into the curb,” according to a Chico police press release. “The force of the collision caused fatal injuries.”
Chico police are still waiting for toxicology results to determine if there were any other factors involved. Lab results are expected within the next week.
No witnesses saw the accident, but investigators believe the crash evidence is consistent with the collision findings.
Fugate worked at Nash’s, a local Chico restaurant. When her mother, father and sister came from Crescent City to Chico the weekend after the crash, Nash’s employees and close friends held a memorial ceremony.
Fugate's coworkers also set up a vigil at the base of the light pole before the family came to Chico.
