Lawrence police investigators believe a motorcyclist who died in an Aug. 31 crash on Iowa Street was following another northbound vehicle too closely and crossed the center line to avoid a collision.

But when Josh Skipton, 23, went into oncoming traffic, a southbound 1996 Ford Econline van struck Skipton’s motorcycle. Skipton died at the scene of the accident, which occurred about 6:15 p.m. near University Drive, according to an accident report released Thursday. The driver of the van, Mary Barnes, 55, Kansas, City, Kan., and two of her passengers were not injured.

Skipton’s friends have said he was driving home from Briggs Auto Group, where he worked as a salesman. He was wearing a helmet and eye protection at the time of the crash.

A coroner’s investigator said according to a preliminary report Skipton suffered multiple bone fractures, including injuries to his skull and two vertebrae.

Alcohol and drugs were not listed as factors in the crash for either driver, according to the report, and the coroner’s investigator said Skipton’s preliminary test was negative for both drugs and alcohol.