MACON, Ga. — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says motorcycle riders are five times more likely to be hurt in a crash. The family of Christopher Allen Jr. said they would like to see this number lower.
On Saturday, Sept. 14, the 19-year-old died after his motorbike collided with an SUV at the intersection of Jones and Old School Road, the Bibb County Sheriff's Office said.
Now, even a week later, the intersection is decorated with a roadside memorial in his honor.
Allen's father said he spent his last moments of life doing what he loved most. He said that Allen and his girlfriend, Ansleigh Thomas, were on their way to his grandmothers house for an afternoon meal. He was riding his bike and Thomas was following behind in her car.
"He said he was free on the bike, that's the only time he felt free," his father, Christopher Allen Sr., said.
He says he always worried for his son's safety when he rode his motorcycle and his fears became reality, Sep. 14, when his son died. Allen Sr. alleges the other driver ran a stop sign then hit his son while he drove down Jones Rd which knocked his bike over.
His father said defensive driving looks different for motor-bike riders, adding the best thing bikers can do is learn how to fall and brace for impact. However, Allen Sr. said that his son didn't even have the time to brace himself.
"It couldn't happen any faster," he said.
Allen's mother, Melissa Rumney, said she also felt similar concerns. She encouraged drivers to be more cautious when sharing the roads with motorbikes.
"You could probably pay thousands to put them through the best motorcycle schools, you could buy the best gear, but at the end of the day there's no way to protect a child or adult," she said.
Even though her son is gone, Rumney said how proud she is to still see the legacy her son left behind: his two-year-old son, Keelan.
"It was beautiful," she said. "A lot of young dads don't want part in a kid's life or that you know the parents break up, but Christopher loved that youngin."
She said that all she wants to do now is hug her son one more time. She encouraged other families to do the same before the can't do it again.
"I will always carry an emptiness in my heart," Rumney said.
Allen's funeral service will begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 22. It will be held at Sardis-Heard Funeral Home. His father said immediately after, there will be an honorary bike ride and asks anyone planning to attend, to wear blue. His family created a GoFundMe, to assist with funeral expenses.
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