A Pottstown man died late Monday in Reading Hospital two days after suffering traumatic injuries when he was thrown from his motorcycle after hitting a deer on Route 724 in eastern Berks County, state police said Tuesday.
Mikael A. Nihart, 25, was pronounced dead at 10:15 p.m. by a staff physician, troopers at the Reading station said. He died of multiple injuries and his death was ruled accidental by the Berks County coroner’s office.
Troopers provided this account:
About 12:15 a.m. Saturday, Nihart was westbound on Route 724 east of Red Corner Road in Union Township, traveling at about the 45 mph speed limit, according to a motorist who was behind him, when a deer began to cross. After hitting the hindquarters of the animal, Nihart lost control of the motorcycle and was thrown into a guide rail, partially amputating one of his legs.
He was taken by ambulance to the hospital’s trauma center.
Nihart was the second person to die this year in Berks after hitting a deer while riding a motorcycle, according to the coroner’s office. Overall, he was the 10th person to die in 2024 as a result of motorcycle crashes among 37 total fatalities involving all types of vehicles, according to newspaper records.
