Bicyclist killed when he collides with deer on rural road, North Carolina cops say

An evening bike ride on a rural road turned fatal in a most unusual way, when the cyclist slammed into a deer, according to the North Carolina Highway Patrol.

The crash happened around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2, near the intersection of North Pine Road and Moses Spring Road, witnesses reported. The area is about an 8-mile drive northeast from Boone.

“A motorized electric bike traveling south on North Pine Run Road struck a deer that had entered the roadway,” the N.C. Highway Patrol reported in a Sept. 3 news release.

“The rider, Michael Allen Duncan Jr., 55, of Blowing Rock, was ejected from the bike and transported to an area hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.”

Duncan was riding with a group of bicyclists, and they reported as many as six deer ran into the road at the same time.

The deer that collided with Duncan fled the scene before troopers arrived, officials said.

White-tailed deer are native to the state and are frequently involved in vehicle crashes. Adult male deer can reach 200 pounds in N.C., and run at speeds of up to 40 mph, according to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

Meanwhile, electrically-assisted bicycles, also known as e-bikes, can reach speeds of between 20 and 28 mph when the the rider pedals while the motor is engaged, experts say.

Boone is about a 100-mile drive northwest from Charlotte.

This story was originally published September 3, 2025 at 7:41 AM with the headline "Bicyclist killed when he collides with deer on rural road, North Carolina cops say."