Kelley Knockel Obituary, Death – Kelley Knockel of Colesburg, Iowa, died Saturday night after a deer entered the path of a group of motorcycles in Clayton County, according to the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office. She was 34.
Authorities said three motorcycles were traveling together when the deer ran into their path. One motorcycle struck the animal, while a second crashed as its rider tried to avoid the collision. The third motorcycle avoided the crash.
Knockel was a passenger on the motorcycle that hit the deer. She died at the scene. The motorcycle’s operator was seriously injured and airlifted to a hospital in Wisconsin. The rider of the second motorcycle also suffered serious injuries after losing control while taking evasive action.
The crash was one of two reported motorcycle collisions involving deer in Iowa that weekend. In a separate incident near Waterloo in Black Hawk County, a Harley-Davidson trike struck a deer Saturday. Both riders were taken to a hospital with serious injuries, according to the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office.
The Clayton County crash remains a painful loss for Knockel’s family, friends, and Colesburg community. May those grieving her death find comfort and support in the days ahead.
