Motorcyclist suffers serious injuries after striking deer

BROWN COUNTY, Minn. — A southern Minnesota man riding a motorcycle suffered grave injuries after striking a deer overnight Wednesday.

The Brown County Sheriff's Office says it responded to the crash shortly after 1 a.m. on County Road 6 west of County Road 11.

The 43-year-old motorcyclist had been traveling westbound on County Road 6 when he hit a deer in the roadway, according to the sheriff's office.

The man suffered life-threatening injuries and had to be flown to a hospital in Rochester.

Between 2016 and 2020, the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety reported 18 deer crashes resulted in death and that 15 of those deaths were motorcyclists.

In that same time period, 124 crashes resulted in serious injuries and a majority of those injured were motorcyclists.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety encourages motorcyclists to avoid riding at night and in times of low light but says those who encounter deer should use both brakes and keep their heads up to improve their chances of keeping the motorcycle upright. Swerving is OK if a crash is imminent and there is enough space to avoid the deer without leaving the roadway, the department says.