Two area residents died in separate vehicle crashes that occurred over the weekend.

Shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday, a crash south of Chester involving two motorcycles claimed the life of a 53-year-old Red Bud man.

At about 12:20 a.m. Sunday, a head-on crash on Interstate 44 near the Arch grounds in downtown St. Louis claimed the life of a 44-year-old Baldwin woman.

In the Saturday crash, Illinois State Police told the North County News that a 2011 Harley-Davidson driven by Ricky D. Niemeyer, 27, of Red Bud, was traveling north on Route 3 in Rockwood and attempted an illegal U-turn when a northbound 1996 Harley-Davidson driven by Scott W. Porter, 53,  of Red Bud, came around a curve in the roadway and struck the left side of Niemeyer’s bike. Niemeyer, Porter and a passenger on Niemeyer’s bike, Michelle L. Kent, 34, of Red Bud, were all ejected in the crash.

Porter was airlifted to Saint Louis University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Niemeyer and Kent were transported by ambulance to Chester Memorial Hospital for treatment of non-critical injuries.

Niemeyer was cited for an illegal U-turn and a violation of classification for not having a Class M motorcycle license.

Funeral services for Porter, who owned an upholstery business in Red Bud, are set with visitation to be held 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday and 9 to 10 a.m. Friday at Koch-Liefer Funeral Home in Red Bud. The funeral will take place 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home.

Porter’s daughter, Hannah, died in a two-vehicle, head-on crash on Route 159 south of Hecker back on Jan. 10. Hannah was a back seat passenger in a car driven by Abby Liefer, who also died as a result of injuries sustained when Liefer’s car collided with a car driven by Crystal Steinheimer.

Among Porter’s surviving relatives are a 22-year-old son, Brennan Porter, and 11-year-old daughter, Graci Porter, both of Red Bud.

In the early Sunday crash, a spokesperson for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said a vehicle driven by Theresa Klein, 44, of Baldwin, was traveling west in the eastbound lanes of I-44 at Pine Street for unknown reasons when it struck another car head-on.

Klein, a Waterloo native, was transported to Saint Louis University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Two people in the car struck by Klein’s vehicle, ages 28 and 35, were injured but police said their injuries were not life-threatening.

Klein was a sixth grade teacher at Oliver Park Middle School in Cahokia and also worked part-time at Reifschneider’s Grill & Grape in Columbia. Among her surviving relatives are mother Shirley Kay (Phillip) Garnto of Waterloo and two daughters, Sierra and Kiana Klein-DuFrenne.

Visitation for Klein is set for 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday and 8 to 11 a.m. Friday at Welge-Pechacek Funeral Home in Red Bud. Funeral services are set for 11 a.m. Friday at the funeral home.