CHARLEMONT — Police say Gregory Herzig, a 66-year-old Colrain man, has died following a crash that temporarily closed Route 2 on Wednesday.

According to a statement from State Police Trooper Brandon Doherty, the collision involved a 2005 Harley Davidson that Herzig was riding and a 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The collision was reported at around 1 p.m. in the vicinity of 1449 Route 2.

According to Doherty, the Jeep was traveling eastbound and pulled to the right side of the road, preparing to attempt a U-turn. The motorcycle collided with the SUV as the driver navigated the SUV back onto the roadway.

Charlemont resident Paul Thompson, who witnessed the crash, said he and two other witnesses performed CPR on Herzig “for seven or eight minutes before the ambulance got there.” Herzig was transported to Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, where he was pronounced dead, acording to Doherty.

The SUV, which had Rhode Island license plates, appeared to have sustained heavy front-end damage.

Route 2 was closed to traffic until 4:05 p.m. as State Police investigated, according to Doherty. Other responding agencies included the Charlemont Police Department, Adams Police Department, Charlemont Fire Department, Charlemont Ambulance and American Medical Response (AMR).

The investigation into the crash is ongoing and is being conducted by Troop B of the Massachusetts State Police, the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, and the State Police Crime Scene Services Section.

Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-930-4231 or jmendoza@recorder.com.

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