A deadly motorcycle accident during Thursday?s commute left Route 9 closed in both directions all morning.

Police are investigating what caused the accident, but they say speed may have been a factor. They believe the driver, 21-year-old Richard Trentini, was traveling southbound on Route 9 at River Road when he lost control and his motorcycle flipped over.

?He was found in the center of the roadway and when emergency crews arrived, the person was in cardiac arrest,? Briarcliff Manor Police Chief Norman Campion says.

Sources say the driver had just recently gotten the bike ? temporary plates were still on the bike when the crash occurred. They say Trentini was taken to Phelps Memorial Hospital, where he died.

A local pastor says drivers on the stretch of Route 9 frequently drive too fast. He says the posted speed limit is 40 mph, but drivers often reach speeds of 80 of 90 mph. However, Campion says the state Department of Transportation recently took steps to make the stretch of road safer.

?The roadway was recently reconfigured by New York State and we?ve seen a major decrease in accidents as a result of that reconfiguration,? he says.

Route 9 reopened Thursday afternoon after being shut down for about five hours.