PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Two serious motorcycle crashes that happened hours apart in Providence over the weekend have reignited a long-running debate over helmet requirements in Rhode Island.

Police said the first crash happened around 5:30 p.m. Sunday on Union Avenue, when a motorcyclist tried to pass a car on the left and struck the vehicle. The rider was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

Around 10 p.m., police responded to Elmwood Avenue for another crash involving a motorcycle and a car. Investigators said two people were on the bike when it collided with the car. The operator was pronounced dead at the scene, while the passenger was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

According to police, neither operator was wearing a helmet.

In Rhode Island, it is required b

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