A Luzerne County man was killed Thursday morning in a crash along a busy Schuylkill County road while operating a motorcycle that was reported stolen.

State police at Frackville said the crash occurred at 7:53 a.m. along Route 61 southbound, just north of Darkwater Road in New Castle Township. The crash site is also just north of the entrance to the Coal Creek Commerce Center shopping complex.

Troopers said Rafael Mateo, 29, of Hazleton, was operating a 2007 Suzuki bike at a high rate of speed in the left southbound lane. Ahead of him were two tri-axle dump trucks traveling in the right lane, with both trucks having their right turn signals activated.

A Walmart tractor-trailer was in the right lane behind the two dump trucks. Also, a Jeep was behind the Walmart truck.

As the Walmart truck closed the distance behind the dump trucks, the driver changed lanes into the left lane and began passing the two dump trucks.

Mateo came upon the slowing traffic and tried to pass the Walmart truck on the right. As Mateo closed in on the rear of the first dump truck, he attempted to “thread the needle” and travel between the dump truck and the Walmart truck.

At this point, Mateo’s cycle hit the left rear corner of the first dump truck, then tumbled down the center of the two southbound lanes between the two trucks. The cycle came to rest across both southbound lanes.

Mateo was pronounced dead at the scene. Troopers said he was wearing a protective helmet. No one else was injured.

The cycle was destroyed and towed from the scene. Both dump trucks had minimal damage and were driven from the scene.

A Pennsylvania Department of Transportation records check revealed the cycle had been reported stolen out of Virginia. The records also indicated Mateo did not have a valid driver’s license.