Grandmother, 44, Killed by Her Own SUV After Colliding with a Deer While Driving to See Her Relatives

A woman died on her way to visit her daughter and grandchildren after she was run over by her own SUV in a tragic accident.

According to a press release from the Kansas Highway Patrol on Friday, Nov. 14, 44-year-old Rebecca Oberley was driving her 2019 Nissan Pathfinder eastbound on the U50 highway when she hit a deer. Oberley stopped the SUV to inspect the damage, but the vehicle was still in reverse. After tripping, she was struck and fatally injured by the rolling SUV.

A 14-year-old boy who was in the vehicle at the time was not harmed.

A GoFundMe page — organized by Diana Dimitt, who worked with Oberley for three years — has raised $650 out of its $20,000 goal as of Monday, Nov. 17. Dimitt wrote that Oberley had been traveling from her home in Kinsley, Kansas, to Texas to visit her daughter and two grandchildren — a trip she had been eagerly anticipating.

“As she stepped out, the gear didn’t fully catch, and the vehicle rolled. In a split second, a beautiful life was gone. A mother, a wife, a grandmother, a friend — taken in a way none of us can truly understand,” Dimitt shared on the page.

Funds raised will help cover funeral expenses, counseling, travel and other needs as the family copes with the sudden loss. Oberley is survived by her husband, children and grandchildren.