A Pike County man was killed Sunday morning after crashing into two utility poles.

According to Spalding County Coroner Sonny Foster, 22-year-old William Nathan Perkins was killed instantly when both he and his motorcycle struck two utility poles on Hale Avenue east of Bieze Street in Griffin about 10 a.m. Sunday morning. Foster pronounced Perkins dead on the scene when he arrived at 10:45 a.m.

“It wasn’t good,” Foster said, “he was probably killed instantly.”

The Georgia State Patrol told Foster that the driver lost control on the curve and went straight into the poles, which were about two feet apart. Witnesses on scene told police the driver was traveling at a high rate of speed riding a wheelie before striking the power pole at 730 Hale Avenue, according the incident report from Griffin Police.

”Speed definitely had been a factor,” Foster said. “Those crotch rockets are made to go 200 miles per hour and there’s no where you can go that fast.”

The motorcyle was a Suzuki GSXR 750, according to police.

“These things will kill you. I cringe every time I see a kid on one.” the coroner said. “They are nothing more than an accident waiting to happen.”

Moody Funeral Home in Zebulon will be handling funeral arrangements. According to the obituary, Perkins was 2008 graduate of Pike County High School, worked at GWI in Griffin and attended Oak Hill Baptist Church in Griffin.

Visitation will be tonight, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Oak Hill Baptist Church. Funeral services will be 3 p.m., Wednesday, at Oak Hill Baptist Church with Rev. Bryan Parrish and Rev. Clay Chasteen officiating and interment will follow in Moody Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the William Nathan Perkins Memorial Fund at First Bank of Pike.