Wild turkey hits Hwy. 97 motorcyclist; crash kills rider

A Junction City motorcyclist was killed Sunday when a wild turkey collided with her after it flew into a commercial truck on U.S. Highway 97 in Sherman County, Oregon State Police said.

OSP troopers and emergency personnel responded around 11:30 a.m. to the reported single-vehicle crash on Highway 97 near milepost 15, about two miles north of Moro.

A preliminary investigation found that Vanesa Gunther, 55, was heading south on the highway on a 2005 Kawasaki motorcycle when a wild turkey collided with her after flying into a northbound commercial motor vehicle, troopers said.

Gunther’s motorcycle then traveled across the northbound lane and struck a guardrail. She sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene, they said.

The crash and investigation closed the northbound lane of Highway 97 for several hours, the OSP reported.

OSP was assisted at the scene by the Sherman County Sheriff’s Office, North Sherman Fire, Motor Fire and Rescue, and ODOT.