Updated Monday 9 a.m.

A Santa Clarita motorcyclist traveling at “a high rate of speed” died after colliding with a van on Decoro Drive early Thursday evening, sheriff’s officials said.

Michael De St. Jean, 39, was riding a yellow and black Suzuki street bike east on Decoro shortly before 6 p.m. when he crashed into a Penske moving van making a left turn onto Decoro from Rutherford Place, sheriff’s Deputy Mike Shapiro said.

De St. Jean was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the van was not injured, Shapiro said.

The crash is being investigated by the Sheriff’s Station’s traffic division. Shapiro said it was not known exactly how fast De St. Jean was driving or whether alcohol was a factor. The speed limit on that portion of Decoro is 45 mph.

Rachel de St. Jean, the victim’s wife, contacted SCVNews.com to say her husband “would never, ever, consume alcohol and ride a motorcycle.” She said he was “heading home from his yearly physical exam at Kaiser, at which time the doctor told him how healthy he was and how much his cholesterol had gone down.”

“Michael was an extremely honorable, caring man who served our country for eight years in the U.S. Navy and Army National Guard,” Rachel de St. Jean said.

Decoro remained closed between McBean Parkway and Grandview Drive for about four hours after the crash, Shapiro said.

Thursday’s crash was third local fatal motorcycle collision this month, which is observed as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

On May4, Dean M. Lalley, 42, of Saugus was killed on San Francisquito Road after colliding with a Toyota Sequoia heading the opposite direction. On May 5, Daniel Ernesto Diaz, 25, of Valencia, died after losing control of a motorcycle and crashing near Osage Ridge Road and Mulberry Glen Drive. Sheriff’s officials cited high speeds by the motorcyclists in both incidents.

Photo by Elliott Cohen

Photo by Elliott Cohen

Photo by Elliott Cohen