Saturday, April 17th 2021, 10:06 pm
Loved ones held a memorial Saturday to honor the life of a man who died in a motorcycle accident last weekend.
People close to Joe Looper decided to honor him by doing what he loved: Riding.
"He was on a bike with his mom and dad when he was a year old," family friend Aaron Cosar said. "It was in his blood."
Friends and family traveled through the metro for what they're calling “Joe's Last Ride.”
"When a brother like this falls, it could have been one of us," Cosar said. "It could have been our last day. It could have been the funeral for our family members, so we just want to show support."
Looper was killed last Saturday when he was thrown off his bike, over an Interstate 44 barrier wall and down below onto Kelley Avenue.
According to his brother, several members of their family went on a ride that day. Looper was in the front of the group. His brother, Kenneth, was just behind him.
"We were in the fast lane and there was a white 4-door sedan," Kenneth Looper said. "I don't know the make or model."
Looper said suddenly the car then swerved into Joe.
"They veered off into his lane. He went over to the white line and then, when he hit the debris going over the overpass, the bike got into a high-speed wobble,” Looper said.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said it is still investigating the incident.
Through this difficult time, fellow motorcycle riders said there's been a lot of support from the biker community.
"Their story is his story, and his story is their story," Cosar said. "We all have these intertwines of how we grew up on motorcycles and how we fell in love with them and how we fell in love with that lifestyle."
OHP said it is asking for information from those who witnessed the crash.
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