A Keytesville woman perished and a Brookfield man suffered serious injuries after they were thrown from their motorcycle late Saturday, May 16 in Chariton County.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, a motorcycle driven by a 47-year-old man from Brookfield was heading east on U.S. Route 24, when at about 11:20 p.m., the motorcycle ran off the roadway past the bridge over the Chariton River. Both riders were thrown from the bike. The 43-year-old woman who was a passenger on the bike was pronounced dead at the scene about an hour later, while the Brookfield man was taken to a Columbia hospital. Troopers say they were unable to determine if either rider had the proper safety equipment on at the time of the crash.