Motorcyclist dies after 33-foot fall

Mic Smith
The Post and Courier

North Charleston's Major Coyle Kinard consoles the husband of the woman killed Tuesday afternoon in a motorcycle accident.

A woman riding a new Kawasaki motorcycle hit a North Charleston on-ramp retaining wall and fell 33 feet to her death Tuesday evening.

The woman's husband, who was riding ahead of her, apparently didn't witness the 6:18 p.m. accident but arrived at her side shortly after he noticed her Ninja motorcycle resting against the wall, authorities said.

Charleston County Coroner Rae Wooten identified the woman as Marque Thompson, 40, of Mount Pleasant.

Thompson and her husband, who was riding a Kawasaki Vulcan, had gotten off Interstate 26 east at Exit 212C, police spokesman Spencer Pryor said.

They made the loop to get on Interstate 526 east. It wasn't known Tuesday night what made the woman's motorcycle hit the left wall, but no other vehicles were involved in the accident, Pryor said.

Thompson fell to a grassy area between the I-526 east on-ramp and I-526 west. She was wearing a helmet.

The Vulcan was still bearing a paper tag. Wooten said both motorcycles were new, but she didn't know if Thompson was an experienced rider.

Reach Nita Birmingham at 745-5858 or nbirmingham@postandcourier.com.