Michael Lavern Schmidt, 71, and his wife, Barbara J. Schmidt, 63, of Preston, Kansas, died Friday, October 23, 2026, after their motorcycle collided head-on with a pickup truck in Montgomery County. The crash happened shortly after 12:30 p.m. on U.S. Highway 166, about three miles north of Caney. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, leaving behind a tragic loss that has brought their names into the news.
According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, Michael was riding a 2015 Harley-Davidson motorcycle eastbound on U.S. 166 with Barbara riding as his passenger. They were traveling along the highway when they approached a curve south of their location.

The motorcycle failed to negotiate the curve, according to the patrol’s report. It crossed the center line and entered the westbound side of the highway, putting the couple directly in the path of an oncoming 2025 GMC Sierra.
The motorcycle and pickup truck collided head-on in the westbound shoulder and grass area. The impact proved fatal for Michael and Barbara. Emergency responders pronounced both of them dead at the scene.
The pickup truck was driven by Gary Vandebruinhorst, 73, of Peck, Kansas. His passenger, Patricia Gail Vandebruinhorst, 70, was also in the vehicle when the crash occurred. Neither of them was injured, according to the crash report.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported that both occupants of the pickup truck were wearing their seat belts. However, investigators had no information on whether Michael and Barbara were wearing helmets at the time of the collision.
The crash happened near the junction of U.S. Highway 166 and U.S. Highway 75, a stretch of road about three miles north of Caney. The available report does not provide further details about the couple’s activities before the crash or their plans that day.
Michael and Barbara shared the motorcycle ride that ended in tragedy. The official account explains how the collision happened, but it offers little information about their lives away from the highway. Their ages and hometown are among the few personal details included in the report.
For their loved ones, the loss of two family members in the same crash is a painful reality to face. The couple’s deaths also serve as a reminder of how quickly a routine journey can turn into a fatal accident.
Authorities have identified the vehicles and people involved, along with the circumstances that led to the collision. For now, the confirmed details remain focused on the crash, the two lives lost and the two pickup occupants who escaped injury.
Date: Friday, October 23, 2026








