A man operating a three-wheel motorcycle on a western Wisconsin highway crashed and died, authorities said Thursday.

The single-vehicle wreck occurred shortly after 3 p.m. Wednesday along northbound Hwy. 53 between Chetek and New Auburn in Barron County, the Sheriff's Office said.

Richard Knoll, 63, of nearby Rice Lake, was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders.

A passenger, 72-year-old Lois Allen, also of Rice Lake, was taken by air ambulance to a hospital with serious injuries but was expected to survive, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Paul Walsh