UPDATE: Kirkland Motorcycle Crash That Killed Brothers Remains a Puzzle

UPDATE, Oct. 1: A college fund has also been established for the 13-year-old daughter of Eldon Lutz, one of two brothers killed in a Sept. 8 motorcycle crash in Kirkland, Patch learned after this story was posted. Donations may be made to the Karisha Lutz College Fund at any branch of JP Morgan Chase Bank in Washington state. A person close to both the father and daughter also requested it be pointed out that Eldon Lutz “was an amazing person and an awesome father to his daughter. She lived with him in Kirkland and went to school there.”

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Original story:

An account has been established at Chase Bank for the nine-year-old son of one of two brothers killed in a tragic motorcycle crash in the Totem Lake area on Sept. 8 that continues to baffle police investigators.

Those wishing to contribute to the fund for the education of Gerald Lutz’s son may do so in the name of Daniel Lutz -- “Danimal” as his dad called him -- at any Chase Bank branch, according to Brad Myers, a co-worker of Gerald Lutz.

Gerald Lutz of Seattle, 39, and his brother and best friend Eldon Lutz of Kirkland, 37, were killed on the afternoon of Saturday, Sept. 8, apparently while practicing motorcycle riding at the Park and Ride lot in the 11600 block of NE 132nd St.

Police believed after the initial investigation that both brothers were on the motorcycle when it hit a curb in the lot at a high rate of speed and threw both over a fence and to 132nd Street 15 to 20 feet below. It is believed that one of the brothers was then hit by a car.

Apparently no one witnessed the actual crash, and at least one person in the lot at the time said only one person was on the cycle just before the crash. The police investigation remains open, but exactly what happened might never be known.

“We don’t know if we’re ever going to be able to determine who was driving the motorcycle and if they were both on it, or if one hit the other and both went over the fence,” said Lt. Mike Murray, spokesman for the Kirkland Police Department. “We recovered cell phone video that led us to believe one was taping the other and maybe was hit.”

What is known, Murray said, is that the motorcycle was traveling at a high rate of speed, hit the curb and that both brothers and the machine landed on the street below. One of the perplexing things about the case is that the brothers were not the type anyone would expect to be involved in such an accident. Gerald Lutz worked at Cisco Systems in Seattle and was a devoted husband and father. Eldon Lutz worked for Microsoft in Redmond.

“It’s a tragic case. It’s just terrible,” said Murray.

For previous Kirkland Patch stories about the crash see:

• UPDATE: Two Men Killed in High-Speed Motorcycle Crash Near Totem Lake

• Witness Says Riders Not Driving Recklessly in Fatal Kirkland Motorcycle Crash

• Service Set for Brothers Killed in Motorcyle Crash Saturday in Kirkland