Community mourns Iowa City cyclist killed in crash

Community members from across Johnson County are mourning an Iowa City woman they remember as “uplifting” and “a bright light” who died this week after being struck by a van last week during a group bike ride.

Ashlee Hopkins, 41, was “one of the pillar members” of the cycling community in Iowa City, according to Liz Hubing, an ambassador and organizer for Bike Iowa City. Hubing and Hopkins both were regular attendees of 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 embedded in the community and supportive of others and uplifting others. She was just such a positive person even when she was going through hard times herself,” Hubing said. “A word that a lot of people are using to describe her right now is strength. Both physically and emotionally, she was one of the strongest, most resilient people that I know.”

Matt Burkey, one of the Gravel Scouts organizers and an ambassador with Bike Iowa City, said he’s known Hopkins for a few years but grew closer with her starting about a year ago when she started riding regularly with the Gravel Scouts. Hopkins started riding partially as a way to cope with some difficult times after her husband passed away and quickly became one of the best riders in the group, according to Burkey.

“She was very welcoming, open, lighthearted and always smiling. When I’m biking that hard, I’m rarely smiling,” Burkey said. “An important part of the Gravel Scouts group rides on Mondays is we’re no-drop. They’re for everyone. And I think she was someone that helped make everyone feel comfortable and welcome and like they belong in the group.”

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

Hopkins was the development director for the program a couple years ago, and more recently worked as the development director at Bur Oak Land Trust, a land conservation group based in Iowa City. She also volunteered regularly in support of causes important to her, including work with Englert Theatre, Iowa City Bike Library, Girls on the Run, United Action for Youth and Rotary, according to an obituary published by Gay and Ciha Funeral Service.

“I think it’s just part of the fabric of who she was as a human,” Schamberger said. “She brought such a bright light to so many, 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 went about her work. She was just a caring, thoughtful soul.”

Hopkins was participating Sept. 15 in the Farm Cycle ride, organized by the Bike Library, when she was hit by a van in the 3300 block of Rohret Road. She died from her injuries Monday, and made a lifesaving liver donation, according to a GoFundMe page started on behalf of her family.

The Iowa City Police Department said in a short news release Wednesday that the crash remains under investigation. Police have not released any details about the driver of the van or what led to the crash. According to Johnson County Attorney Rachel Zimmerman Smith, no charges or citations have been filed in the case.

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Hopkins is one of three cyclists who have died on Iowa roads so far this year, according to daily traffic fatality data from the Iowa Department of Transportation. In 2023, there were five bicycle fatalities in the state, up from three in 2022 but still down from the 11 bicycle fatalities in 2021.

Several Johnson County organizations made statements on social media this week about the impact Hopkins had in the community.

“Ashlee was a mentor, a confidant, a connector, and a person you simply wanted to be around. She was a light in our office and we are fortunate to have had that time with her. Her absence hurts, and we will feel this sorrow for a long time,” a Facebook post from Bur Oak Land Trust reads.

A post from the Domestic Violence Intervention Program adds that Hopkins “worked tirelessly for victim-survivors, and she did it with a quiet grace that we will be forever grateful to have experienced. Her smile could fill a room and her presence could calm a restless soul.”

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

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

The GoFundMe page that was created to help pay for a funeral and other end-of-life expenses had raised $52,825 as of Wednesday.

“You can tell the impact Ashlee had in the community, because pretty much everyone in the city has a way that they’re connected to her,” Burkey said.

“We’re all taking care of each other right now. We’re all doing what we can to stay afloat. For some of us, that’s riding bikes. For some it’s trying to figure out time to spend with each other and really appreciate the friends we have … I’ve had people reach out to me and ask, can they come ride bikes with me? Because they just don’t want to be alone but they want to get back out there riding.”

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