Port bicyclist, 72, dies of injuries suffered when he was hit by SUV

Robert Bley, the 72-year-old Port Washington bicyclist who was struck from behind by a Jeep Compass while riding on Highway LL in the Town of Port Washington on May 17, died Tuesday, June 1, of his injuries.

Bley died at Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa of injuries he suffered in the accident, according to Captain Marshall Hermann of the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office.

Bley, a native of Port Washington, was an avid bicyclist who rode his bike throughout the area and the state.

He was also an avid bowler who worked alongside family members at Bley’s Recreation bowling alley in downtown Port for many years and spent much of his career working with the American Bowling Congress and Bowling Inc. of Milwaukee.

Bley was riding his bike south on Highway LL north of Green Bay Road about 1:40 p.m. May 17 when a grey 2017 Jeep Compass driven by David Nash, 76, struck him from behind.

Nash, of Cedar Grove, may have suffered a medical event before the crash that caused him to deviate from his lane and strike the bike, officials said.

Bley was taken by the Port Washington ambulance to the Grafton hospital, then transported by a Flight for Life helicopter to Froedtert.

Nash, who was taken by Port Washington ambulance to Aurora Medical Center in Grafton for medical evaluation and treatment, was cited for deviating from his designated lane, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Hermann said the crash remains under investigation pending receipt of the medical records and autopsy report.