BRADFORD – A 52-year-old Bradford man was killed when he lost control of the motorcycle he was riding and crashed Wednesday afternoon.

Hubert Given died at the scene on the Storer Road near the LaGrange Road. Police said Given had passed a couple of cars at a high rate of speed on his 2000 Harley-Davidson and then was unable to make a sharp curve in the road.

The motorcycle hit a ditch and may have flipped over one or more times, said Glen Ross, chief deputy of the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department.

Given wasn’t wearing a helmet, although authorities said they didn’t know whether it would have made a difference.

The accident was being investigated by Penobscot County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jon Carson.