Motorcyclist dies in Polk County crash

A motorcyclist died in a crash northeast of Des Moines last night. The Polk County sheriff’s office says the motorcyclist was eastbound on a rural two-lane highway in Bondurant a little before eight Monday evening when a 43-year-old Ankeny woman driving a northbound car ran a stop sign. When the rider of the bike realized what was happening he hit the brakes and “laid it down” on the pavement, sliding sideways into the intersection but unable to avoid hitting the car. Deputies say 35-year-old Michael Parker of Ankeny was wearing a motorcycle helmet but he was pronounced dead at the scene.