An Iowa City man is dead after being ejected from his motorcycle in Gays Mills.

Saturday afternoon, a group of nine motorcycles were traveling West into Gays Mils. Several of the motorcycles had rounded a curve on Highway 171 before David Ryan saw a van driven by Jean Welsh, age 49, of Richland Center. Ryan was ejected from his motorcycle after he locked the breaks.

Another motorcyclist in the group, Troy Bjerke of Bensenville, IL, locked his breaks and crashed into the van. A third motorcycle, driven by Gerald Risch of Lake in the Hills, IL, crashed into Bjerke’s bike before striking the van. Both Bjerke and Risch were ejected from their motorcycles.

David Ryan was pronounced dead at the scene by coroner Joe Morovitz. Bjerke and Risch were taken to Vernon Memorial Hospital.

Jean Welsh and the other occupants in the van were wearing safety belts and were uninjured.

The Crawford County Sheriff’s Department says that speed was a factor in the crash.