The Colorado Springs Police Department has released the identity of a motorcyclist who died after striking a guardrail off North Circle Drive in mid-May.

John Ruhe, 33, was killed in the single-vehicle crash off North Circle Drive and East Van Buren Street on May 16 just before 1 a.m. Investigators determined that Ruhe was driving northbound at a “high rate of speed” when it crossed the southbound lanes of North Circle Drive and struck a guardrail.

Police said speed appeared to be a contributing factor in the crash.

Two days later, the El Paso County Coroner’s Office identified the rider as Ruhe.

The incident marks the 22nd traffic fatality in Colorado Springs in 2026. At this time last year, the city had 14.