LAWRENCE, Kan. — Lawrence police say a motorcyclist was killed in a crash Monday near McDonald Drive and Rockledge Road.

The crash closed the intersection for about five hours, police said, which also impacted traffic to and from the Interstate 70 exit to Iowa Street.

“Where the crash was located, it significantly impacted inbound traffic from I-70 as well as people trying to get to 1-70,” Lawrence Police Sgt. Drew Finnelly said.

The area has since reopened Monday afternoon.

Lawrence police said the motorcyclist who died is a 36-year-old man. They have not released the man’s name at this time.

He was riding his motorcycle down McDonald Dr. when the driver of a Ford Escape pulled out in front of him, according to police.

Police said the driver of the Escape, a 31-year-old woman, was at a stop sign before entering the intersection. She was not injured.

Police don’t believe alcohol played a role in the crash, but they are looking into whether speed was a factor. 

“The intersection is a bit unusual in that you pull out, if you’re turning northbound, pull out onto an island and you kind of have to traverse both directions of traffic at different times, so it is a bit of an unusual intersection when you’re coming off of Rockledge road,” Finnelly said. 

Police found a helmet at the scene, but they’re not certain if the driver was wearing it. 

Finnelly said several witnesses stayed on scene to provide information to police, which will help in their investigation, determining what happened.