SUMMERVILLE — A Chattooga County man was killed late Tuesday after his mo-torcycle hit a tree on New Rosedale Road (Ga. 156) in northern Floyd County, police said.

Gerald Byars, 37, of Summerville, was pronounced dead at the scene by deputy coroner Ernie Studard at 9:26 p.m.

According to Trooper Stan Smith of the Georgia State Patrol:

Byars was riding a red Yamaha motorcycle westbound near 1915 New Rosedale Road NE when his vehicle left the road. The motorcycle traveled over 200 feet before slamming into a tree.

Smith said the impact threw the driver from the motorcycle, and he was found in a ditch approximately 10-15 feet from the vehicle.

Georgia State Patrol officers closed one lane of New Rosedale Road while they investi-gated the crash. Studard arrived on the scene shortly after 9 p.m. to confirm the fatality.

Smith said he was dispatched to the scene at 8:36 p.m. He said he was the first emergency responder to arrive at around 8:41 p.m.

He said nearby residents heard the collision but that nobody witnessed the crash.