CRANSTON, R.I. (AP) – Police say a firefighter has died in a motorcycle crash in Rhode Island.

Cranston police say 45-year-old Richard Gemma was thrown off his Harley-Davidson and struck his head on the ground after the bike struck a curb as he tried to make a turn just after 5 p.m. Tuesday. Gemma, a Johnston firefighter and Cranston resident, suffered a traumatic head injury and was taken to Rhode Island Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Gemma was not wearing a helmet.

The reason Gemma struck the curb remains under investigation but investigators say speed does not appear to be a factor. An autopsy is planned.

The Johnston firefighters’ union on its Facebook page announced the death with “deep regret and sorrow.”