Man dies test-driving a Ducati in American Canyon
A 34-year-old Sacramento man test-driving a 2000 Ducati Monster motorcycle was killed Monday morning after attempting a U-turn and crashing into a parked trailer at the intersection of Capra Drive and Elliott Drive.
The man’s death marks the first fatal accident on an American Canyon road so far in 2026.
The surrounding roads were closed off for several hours while the Napa County Sheriff’s Office and Napa Police Department major accident investigation teams examined the scene.
Ducatis are high-end Italian motorcycles known for their prowess in racing and motorsports. The man, whom American Canyon Police did not name, traveled with a friend from Sacramento to test-drive a Ducati owned by a Capra Drive resident who has fixed and sold motorcycles for years.
According to several Capra Drive residents, the man was riding at a slow speed of 5-10 miles per hour, but on attempting the U-turn, crashed into the trailer.
On Tuesday morning, crews from American Canyon Public Works were busy hosing down the intersection and the sidewalks along Capra Drive. Multiple residents told the Current that the man had gotten up after the crash and walked down the street toward the seller’s residence, stopping mid-block in front of 718 Capra Drive before being picked up by medical crews.
According to a police statement, the man “was transported by ambulance to the Queen of the Valley Hospital in Napa, where he later succumbed to his injuries.” The statement also said that “the rider was not wearing a helmet or licensed to ride the motorcycle.”
The investigation is ongoing.
