A man has died after he hit a deer with his motorcycle last week

On Friday, 56-year-old Randall M. Merkt of New Richmond was riding eastbound on County Highway D, just east of State Highway 40.

A deer came onto the road from the ditch.

Merkt tried stopping, but hit the deer and was thrown from the cycle. He was not wearing a helmet.

He was taken by helicopter to an Eau Claire hospital. He was later transferred to a twin cities hospital.

He was pronounced dead Monday.