Rebecca Oberley, 44, pulled off early Friday morning on the eastbound shoulder of U.S. 50 in Edwards County after her 2019 Nissan Pathfinder struck a deer. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP), the collision brought the vehicle to a stop near mile marker 158.3, just north of 110th Avenue, at about 6:26 a.m. CST.
Oberley exited the SUV to inspect the damage, and the vehicle — now in reverse gear — began moving. In the brief moment she lost her footing, she tripped and the Pathfinder rolled over her. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Inside the vehicle at the time was a 14-year-old boy, listed as a passenger. Although shaken, he was not injured in the incident.
Friends and neighbors in Kinsley say Oberley was known for her kindness and her role as a mother; the community is now left reeling by the suddenness of her loss. The rural stretch of highway where the crash happened is lightly traveled at dawn, and residents say deer collisions are an unfortunate reality in the area.
Authorities say that striking a deer often forces drivers to pull to the shoulder, but many don’t expect the additional risks that come once the vehicle is stopped — including leaving the engine running, parking gear issues or unexpected vehicle movement. In this case, the SUV’s reverse shift was a tragic moving piece.
The KHP emphasizes caution whenever deer are involved: slow down, pull fully off the roadway, set your parking brake, turn off the engine if you’re exiting the vehicle and make sure you’re not standing in the path of any movement. They also urged drivers to treat the message of Oberley’s accident as more than a cautionary tale.
For the community of Kinsley and all who knew Rebecca Oberley, this week’s event is a solemn reminder of fragility in everyday moments. What began as one of those rural-morning drives ended in unthinkable heartbreak — her collision with a deer, the exit to inspect damage, a footstep, a shift, a tragedy.
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