Man Sentenced in Saratoga County Court for Fatal I-87 Motorcycle Crash

BALLSTON SPA — A 45-year-old Johnstown man was sentenced Jan. 19 to an indeterminate term of 2 to 6 years in a state correctional facility in connection with an incident that occurred on July 30, 2023, in the Town of Wilton.   

Richard T. Irelan, of Johnstown, had previously entered a guilty plea to vehicular manslaughter in the second-degree, a felony, related to the incident. 

The charges against Irelan originated from his operating a Harley Davidson motorcycle erratically and rear-ending a pickup truck on the Exit 15 I-87 southbound off-ramp, according to a statement released by county District Attorney Karen Heggen. The impact resulted in the ejection of the passenger on Irelan’s motorcycle, who was rushed to Saratoga Hospital and later succumbed to her injuries. 

An investigation by the New York State Police at the scene determined that Irelan was intoxicated at the time of the crash, and a subsequent blood test revealed a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .09% and the presence of cannabis in his system.

The investigation was conducted by the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations and the Troop G Collision Reconstruction Unit.