Army veteran, wife dead after vulture caused their Harley-Davidson to crash

An Army veteran and his wife were killed in a motorbike crash in Kansas, caused after a vulture suddenly flew out of a ditch, Saturday.

Brandon Husband, 42, and his wife Jennifer Husband, 43, from Fowler, were on their 2015 Harley-Davidson, riding on a rural road near Medicine Lodge, 75 miles southwest of Wichita, when the incident occurred. Around 3 p.m. local time (4 p.m. EDT), the vulture came out of the north ditch and struck Brandon in the head, according to Kansas Highway Patrol online crash log. As a result, he lost his balance and veered off the road.

The vehicle headed toward the same ditch the bird came out of before hitting a barbed wire fence and overturning. Neither of them was wearing a helmet when the crash took place.

Emergency crews reached the scene half an hour after the crash. While Brandon was pronounced dead at the scene, his wife was rushed to a hospital in Wichita in a critical condition. Jennifer, who went by the name Lynn Husband on Facebook, was declared dead seven hours later.

According to his obituary, Brandon joined the Army in 1998, serving in the 82nd Airborne division. He served one tour in Kosovo and two tours in Kabul, Afghanistan. "Brandon enjoyed riding his bike and spending time with friends and family. According to his friends, he liked his music and he liked it loud! Despite his gruff exterior, he had a huge heart," it added.

Funeral services for the couple were scheduled for April 26, at 10 a.m.

The couple has four children. A GoFundMe page was created by their family friends to lend financial support to the children. The fundraiser has raised over $6,000 in two days of its goal of $50,000.

"Tragedy struck today as Brandon and his wife Lynn had a motorcycle accident and they have suffered a great loss. Brandon has passed away and his wife Lynn is in critical condition in Wichita awaiting surgeries. Anything will help as this family will undergo unexpected expenses and doctors [sic] bills," a description on the page read.

After news of the couple's death broke, tributes started pouring in for them on Facebook. "Been a rough day. Working all day with the thought of knowing your gone. It's still feels unreal. You and Jeremy we're the first ones to introduce Rob into riding motorcycles... This summer is definitely gonna b lonely without you. Sure are gonna miss ya Brandon J. Husband. Till we meet again ride easy my friend," Jessica Rose Nirschl wrote.

In another tribute, Justin Schulte wrote: "Everyone please say a prayer for this family and these kids. May you rest in peace Lynn Husband and Brandon J. Husband! We are all going to miss you both and we are all going to look after you kiddos for you!"

This article originally appeared in IBTimes US.