Charlie St. Clair, Laconia Motorcycle Week Leader, Dies at 76 After Ohio Crash

LACONIA, New Hampshire - Charlie St. Clair, who led Laconia Motorcycle Week for decades and represented Laconia in the New Hampshire House, has died at 76 after injuries from a motorcycle crash in Ohio.

InDepthNH reported that St. Clair was traveling to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally when a rear tire on his motorcycle blew out on an interstate near Avon, Ohio. The account says the crash caused life-threatening injuries and that he later died from those injuries.

St. Clair had been the public face of Laconia Motorcycle Week since 1991. The annual gathering brings riders and visitors to the Lakes Region, and his role linked the event to local businesses, tourism and the wider motorcycle community.

Tributes from New Hampshire leaders

Gov. Kelly Ayotte and U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen were among the public officials who remembered St. Clair's service to Laconia. Their statements focused on his long record in local and state public life as well as his leadership of Motorcycle Week.

The available report identifies the tire failure as part of the account of the crash, not as an official mechanical finding. No further conclusion about the cause should be inferred unless it is released by investigating authorities.

The account names Avon, Ohio, rather than treating the crash as a Laconia event, an important distinction for readers following the investigation.

What comes next

Laconia Motorcycle Week is expected to continue. Readers seeking event information should use the organizer's official channels rather than social-media posts that do not identify a source.

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