20-year-old Marine identified in deadly HWY 62 motorcycle crash

A 20-year-old motorcyclist — a Marine based in Twentynine Palms — has been identified by the coroner’s office following a two-motorcycle crash that occurred on Highway 62 Thursday night.

Blake Creel, from Tallahassee, Florida, was pronounced deceased at Desert Regional Medical Center at about 7:30 p.m.

Another rider, 20-year-old Jared Patrick, also a Marine in 29 Palms, was taken to the hospital with major injuries. The crash happened on the Morongo Grade, north of Desert Hot Springs at 6:39 p.m.

The CHP said Creel was riding a Yamaha R6 westbound on Highway 62 in the right lane, east of North Indian Canyon Drive, when he traveled off the roadway to the right, striking a guard rail.

The motorcycle overturned and Creel was ejected. His bike ricocheted off the guard rail and ended up in the middle of the highway.

Patrick was riding a Yamaha FZ-07 in the left lane behind Creel. He was seriously injured after his bike struck the Yamaha R6 as it was laying on its side in the middle of the road.

Patrick was also ejected. Both men were taken to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs where Creel died about an hour after the crash. Patrick is still recovering at the hospital but we don’t know the extent of his injuries at this time.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

All lanes of Highway 62 were back open about two hours after the crash Thursday night.