A 79-year-old man riding a motor scooter was killed in a crash with an SUV while trying to make a left turn in Brainerd, authorities said.

James D. Strowbridge, of Brainerd, was dead at the scene of the crash, which happened about 5:10 p.m. Wednesday along Business Hwy. 371, according to the State Patrol.

The SUV driver, Claudia I. Lodermeier, of Merrifield, Minn., was not hurt.

Strowbridge was heading south on Business Hwy. 371, attempted to turn left onto Greenwood Street and was struck by the northbound SUV, the patrol said. He was not wearing a helmet, according to authorities.

Including this latest fatality on a vehicle the state classifies as a motorcycle, the death toll in Minnesota for motorcycle riders this year stands at 49, with 28 of those coming since July 1, according to the state Department of Public Safety. The state's 55 motorcycle deaths in all of 2012 were the most since 2008.

In 41 of this year's motorcycle deaths for which helmet use has been determined, 31 were not wearing helmets, the agency added. Although adult riders are not required to wear helmets in Minnesota, the Department of Public Safety said they should be worn by everyone, along with brightly colored protective gear for improved visibility.

Paul Walsh