The death of a west Des Moines man has been ruled an accident by authorities.  54-year-old Joel Hess was thrown from his motorcycle Sunday and hit by a semi truck trailer at approximately 2 p.m.  Police say that they do not plan to charge anyone with any crime in this tragic  motorcycle accident.  The collision occurred on southbound Interstate Highway 35 and left the busy street closed for three hours.

The accident happened when Hess was riding behind a fellow motorcyclist when his friend’s motorcycle hit a vehicle.  Hess tried to avoid the collision by laying his motorcycle down on its side.  None of the motorcyclists involved in the crash were wearing helmets.

Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of all those involved in this tragic accident.