A Cape Coral man remained in critical condition Friday at Lee Memorial Hospital after crashing the motorcycle he was operating Thursday night.

Keith W. Radke, 39, of 2910 N.E. Sixth Ave., sustained life-threatening injuries when he lost control of the 2005 Harley Davidson he was riding and laid out the bike on the pavement. According to Cape police spokeswoman Connie Barron, Radke was traveling at a high rate of speed.

Radke was trauma-alerted to Lee Memorial Hospital with severe head and chest
injuries. He remained hospitalized Friday morning in critical condition, according to Pat Dolce, a spokeswoman for Lee Memorial Health System.

Barron reported that Cape police and fire units responded to a motorcycle accident at 10:08 p.m. Thursday at the intersection of Averill Boulevard and Del Prado Boulevard North. Radke was traveling northbound on U.S. 41, after leaving a bar in Fort Myers, when he turned west onto Del Prado, officials said.

On Del Prado, Radke accelerated, traveling several blocks at a high rate of speed, according to police. As he came around the curve at the intersection of Averill, Radke drifted to the right and stuck the curb. He lost control of the motorcycle and hit the roadway, separating from the bike.

The motorcycle traveled about 200 feet on its side before stopping in the inside westbound lane of Del Prado, Barron said. Radke, who was not wearing a helmet, came to rest in the outside westbound lane of Del Prado. He was transported to the hospital’s Intensive Case Unit.

The investigation is ongoing, according to police.