A 47-year-old Williamstown man died Sunday evening after his motorcycle left the road on Dixie Highway in Walton, the Boone County Sheriff's Office said.

Robert Schulze was riding a 2021 Harley-Davidson southbound in the 11000 block of Dixie Highway when he failed to negotiate a left-hand curve at the intersection with Duffel Lane, according to the sheriff's office. His motorcycle veered off the right side of the roadway, struck a culvert, and then crashed into a metal gate belonging to a business along the highway.

Schulze was thrown from the motorcycle. Deputies who arrived at the scene shortly before 6:45 p.m. July 26, pronounced him dead.

The sheriff's office said speed and alcohol use are suspected contributing factors. Schulze was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, though Kentucky law does not require helmets for motorcycle operators over 21 who have held their license for more than one year.

Anyone with information about this crash can contact the Boone County Sheriff's Office at (859) 334-2175 or Boone County Dispatch at (859) 371-1234.