A Flat Rock man is in critical condition after a Tuesday night crash. Judy Jackson, spokeswoman for the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, says that at 9:19 p.m., deputies responded to the scene on East County Road 400 South, just west of the U.S. 31 roundabout. There, they found Elizabethtown Fire personnel tending to 54-year-old J. Mike Diewert, who was unconscious.

Authorities say that the preliminary investigation revealed that Diewert’s motorcycle was traveling east at a low rate of speed when he made contact with an SUV that was trying to pass him. The driver of the SUV was not hurt.

Jackson says that Diewert was flown by Lifeline to Methodist Hospital where he underwent surgery Tuesday night. As of Wednesday morning, authorities say that he is in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

Sheriff Matt Myers says this crash should serve as a reminder for all drivers to be aware. He says that motorcycles are smaller and harder to see than other vehicles. “When sharing the road with a motorcycle, increase the driving distance between your vehicle and the motorcycle and always give a motorcycle a little more space”, said Myers.