Community mourns cyclist killed in Iowa City accident

Community members across Johnson County are mourning the loss of an Iowa City woman they remembered as an “uplifting” and “shining light” who died this week after being struck by a delivery truck during a group bike ride last week.

Ashlee Hopkins, 41, was “one of the pillars” of the cycling community in Iowa City, according to Liz Hubing, Bike Iowa City ambassador and organizer. Hubing and Hopkins were both regular participants in Monday night gravel rides hosted by Gravel Scouts, a group of cycling enthusiasts in Iowa City, and Hubing said Hopkins was one of the strongest riders in the group.

“She was just so integrated into the community and supported and lifted up others. She was just such a positive person, even when she was going through tough times herself,” Hubing said. “One word that a lot of people use now to describe her is strength. Both physically and emotionally, she was one of the strongest and most resilient people I know.”

Matt Burkey, one of the Gravel Scouts organizers and an ambassador for Bike Iowa City, said he's known Hopkins for a few years but only became close to her about a year ago when she started riding regularly with the Gravel Scouts. Hopkins started cycling in part to cope with some difficult times after the death of her husband and quickly became one of the group's best riders, according to Burkey.

“She was very warm, open, easy-going and always smiling. When I ride that hard, I rarely smile,” said Burkey. “An important part of the Gravel Scouts group rides on Mondays is that we don't do drop-outs. They're for everyone. And I think she was someone who helped make everyone feel comfortable and welcome and like they belonged in the group.”

Josh Schamberger, president of the convention and visitors organization Think Iowa City, knew Hopkins through Iowa City's cycling community and because both had worked for the Domestic Violence Intervention Program in Iowa City.

Hopkins served as the program's development director a few years ago and most recently worked as development director at Bur Oak Land Trust, a conservation group based in Iowa City. According to an obituary published by Gay and Ciha Funeral Service, she also regularly volunteered for her important causes, including work with the Englert Theater, the Iowa City Bike Library, Girls on the Run, United Action for Youth and Rotary.

“I think it's just part of her human personality,” Schamberger said. “She brought such a bright light to so many people, really through humanity. She was just a good, good soul. I saw that through her work with DVIP, the connections she made, the way she did her job. She was just a caring, considerate soul.”

Hopkins was participating in the Farm Cycle ride organized by the Bike Library on Sept. 15 when she was struck by a delivery truck in the 3300 block of Rohret Road. She succumbed to her injuries on Monday and donated a life-saving liver, according to a GoFundMe page set up on behalf of her family.

Iowa City police said in a brief news release Wednesday that the crash remains under investigation. Police have not released any details about the driver of the van or the cause of the accident. No charges or citations have been filed in the case, according to Johnson County Prosecutor Rachel Zimmerman Smith.

Hopkins is one of three cyclists who have died on Iowa's roads so far this year, according to daily traffic fatality data from the Iowa Department of Transportation. There were five fatal bicycle crashes in the state in 2023, up from three in 2022, but still fewer than the 11 fatal bicycle crashes in 2021.

Several Johnson County organizations took to social media this week to comment on the impact Hopkins has had on the community.

“Ashlee was a mentor, a confidant, a facilitator and a person you just wanted to be around. She was a bright spot in our office and we are lucky to have had that time with her. Her absence is painful and we will feel that grief for a long time,” Bur Oak Land Trust said in a Facebook post.

A post from the Domestic Violence Intervention Program said Hopkins “worked tirelessly on behalf of victims and did so with a quiet grace for which we will be eternally grateful. Her smile could fill a room and her presence could soothe a restless soul.”

Hopkins was also a graduate of yogi and teacher training at Muddy Feet Yoga in Iowa City and often sang along to playlists during yoga sessions, according to a post from the company. This Thursday and Saturday, Muddy Feet is hosting donation-based yoga classes with proceeds going to a memorial fund for Hopkins.

“She was such a good friend to me and many others,” said Audrey Wiedemeier, director of the Iowa City Bike Library. “She did so much to create peaceful places for this community in and around Johnson County.”

The GoFundMe page, which was set up to cover a funeral and other end-of-life expenses, had raised $52,825 as of Wednesday.

“You can see the impact Ashlee has had on the community because pretty much everyone in town feels connected to her in some way,” Burkey said.

“We're all looking after each other right now. We're all doing what we can to make ends meet. For some of us, that's cycling. Others are trying to spend time together and really appreciate the friends we have… I've had people contact me asking if they can go cycling with me. They just don't want to be alone, they want to get back on their bikes.”

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