A Lebanon motorcycle crash took the life of a dentist with ties to DeKalb County Friday night.Dr. Steven Thaxton, 62, a graduate of DeKalb County High School and a dentist in Wilson County for more than 35 years, reportedly died after his 1994 Harley Davidson left the roadway and crashed on Hickory Ridge Road in Lebanon.According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Thaxton lost control of the motorcycle when he hit some gravel while attempting to negotiate a curve, and left the roadway on the right side. He was traveling west near the Bonnie Valley Drive intersection when the incident took place just before 9:30 p.m.Authorities said Thaxton was wearing a helmet.Thaxton graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. He graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry in 1975 with his doctorate in dental surgery.He served two years in the U.S. Army as a captain at Fort Polk, La., and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for “his expertise and rare talent in child management.”