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Kayak falls from trailer and kills 75-year-old motorcyclist, Iowa officials say

A 75-year-old motorcyclist died Sunday when a kayak struck him, officials say.
A 75-year-old motorcyclist died Sunday when a kayak struck him, officials say.

A man was killed Sunday when a kayak fell off a truck’s trailer and struck him as he rode a motorcycle, according to Iowa State Patrol.

The incident happened around 10:50 a.m. in Allamakee County, which is in the northeastern corner of the state. Officials say a 69-year-old was driving a Ford F-150 pulling a trailer “loaded with kayaks.”

As the truck traveled south on the road, 75-year-old John Thein was riding a motorcycle northbound, Iowa State Patrol said. One of the kayaks separated from the trailer and struck Thein as the vessel traveled through the air.

Thein, of Guttenberg, was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was transported to a county morgue, state patrol said.

No charges had been filed as of Tuesday. The incident remains under investigation.

This story was originally published September 7, 2021 at 10:34 AM with the headline "Kayak falls from trailer and kills 75-year-old motorcyclist, Iowa officials say."

MS
Mike Stunson
Lexington Herald-Leader
Mike Stunson covers real-time news for McClatchy. He is a 2011 Western Kentucky University graduate who has previously worked at the Paducah Sun and Madisonville Messenger as a sports reporter and the Lexington Herald-Leader as a breaking news reporter. 
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