A motorcyclist died south of Sprague, Wash., Tuesday evening after riding off state Highway 23, but authorities discovered that he actually died from a gunshot wound to the head.

Johnny H. Winter, 56, of Spokane, died at the scene of the accident.

The Washington State Patrol on Wednesday said Winter was northbound three miles south of Sprague on a 2006 Harley Davidson FXST motorcycle when he went off the roadway, striking a rock embankment. He ended up on the northbound shoulder.

Troopers responding to the scene about 8:20 p.m. discovered that he had a gunshot wound and had died from that. A firearm was found at the scene, troopers said.

The Whitman County Sheriff’s Office turned over jurisdiction for the investigation to WSP, said Troy Briggs, a spokesman for the patrol.It was not known whether the gunshot occurred before or at the same time as the accident, he said.

“At this point, we don’t know if there is another person involved,” Briggs said.

Mike Prager

Hoopfest shooter sentenced to nearly 9 years in prison

The triggerman in the Hoopfest shooting last summer has been sentenced to nearly nine years in prison after previously pleading guilty.

Miguel C. Garcia, 20, received a sentence of 105 months from Superior Court Judge Tari Eitzen on Tuesday. The sentence, which is just a couple months shy of nine years, comes mostly from weapons enhancements that were tacked onto the two second-degree assault convictions.

Garcia pleaded guilty Feb. 16 to opening fire on a rival gang member and injuring three bystanders in the downtown Spokane crowd on June 26. He pleaded to two counts of second-degree assault and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Two of the intended shooting victims, Kalen J. Bedford and Andre Conway, were members of a rival gang, police said.

Thomas Clouse