The North Texas cycling community gathered in Wichita Falls on Tuesday 11 August for a Ghost Bike dedication honoring Kevin Reese, 45, and his daughter McKaylee “Mac” Reese, 23, who were killed while training for this year’s 45th Hotter’N Hell Hundred (HHH), set for Saturday 29 August.
The Reeses, both longtime endurance cyclists, died on Wednesday 25 March 2026 when they were struck from behind at high speed while riding side by side on the IH-44 service road, part of the HHH route. Riding two abreast is legal in Texas. The Texas Department of Public Safety identified the vehicle as a 2019 Volvo XC40. Its driver was reportedly inattentive and failed to control the vehicle’s speed before crashing into the rear of the two cyclists. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. No arrests have been announced.
The tragedy struck close to home for the region’s riding community. Hotter’N Hell chairman David Coleman said the news spread quickly through text messages as riders checked on one another. He said the loss hit particularly close to home because he also rides with his own daughter.
The deaths came amid a troubling stretch for local cyclists. A few weeks later, in April, another rider, Larry Don Armstrong, was also killed in a separate vehicle-bicycle crash in the area. Safety advocates have since renewed calls for drivers to remain attentive on shared roads, particularly along routes used heavily by cyclists training for Hotter’N Hell.
First held in 1982 as part of Wichita Falls’ centennial celebration, the Hotter’N Hell Hundred has grown into one of the largest gran fondo style rides in the United States, drawing professional and amateur riders alike on routes of up to 100 miles. Roughly 10,000 to 14,000 participants typically taking part each year. True to its name, the flagship 100-mile route is regularly tackled in triple-digit Texas heat, cementing the event’s reputation as one of America’s toughest cycling challenges.
The ghost bikes now stand as a memorial along the route where Kevin and McKaylee rode together for the last time.
Photo Credit: Naomi Skinner/Times Record News
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