Rapid City man pleads guilty in motorcycle rally death

RAPID CITY (AP) — A Rapid City man has acknowledged that he plowed into the back of a motorcycle during the Sturgis Rally, killing a Nebraska man.

The media reports that 33-year-old Robert Pittman pleaded guilty Wednesday to second-degree manslaughter for the death of 44-year-old Brian Bye, a biker from Lincoln, Neb., on Aug. 10. Prosecutors say Pittman hit Bye on Highway 79 near Bear Butte and fled. Pittman was arrested two days later.

Meade County State's Attorney Kevin Krall said Pittman acknowledged drinking several beers that day before the crash, and says he didn't see the motorcycle because of a hill.

Pittman faces 10 years in prison when he is sentenced Jan. 30.

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