Motorcycle crash victim’s friends ask you to keep bikers safe; friends remember David Patrick’s life

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – In the last year Kentucky State Police have seen seven motorcycle collisions in Post 3 alone, three of those ending in fatalities.

Scottsville native David Patrick recently passed away after a motorcycle crash on U.S. 31W Bypass. His friends in Bowling Green hold his memory in high regard. 

Harley Davidson’s Riding Academy Manager Herb Pelham got to know David near the end of his life.

“I didn’t know him for very long,” said Pelham, “but he was very nice, and very polite and very respectful when I talked to him.”

He’s been teaching bike safety on the roads for 14 years, hoping to keep bikers like David safe. 

He says having the proper equipment and following the traffic laws is a good start, but most of all, you have to be a defensive driver. 

“Always have yourself an escape,” Pelham advised. “When I see cars in front of me, I’m going to assume that everyone is going to do something which will cause me an accident.” 

David often rode over to 31 Ink Tattoo Parlor on the Bypass where he and his buddies Ken Smith and Garrett Morrel shared their love of biking. 

“David was a good guy,” said Morrel. “David was a good person. He had a recovery home that he ran specifically to help people that everyone else pretty much turned their back on.”

Smith added, “When [a motorcycle accident] does happen, it’s a tragedy. That’s just what it is. It’s a tragedy. It could be me hitting someone tomorrow or me getting hit tomorrow, you just never know.”

Morrel says motorcyclists both new and old to the streets should take a safety class, but at the end of the day, he just asks everyone on the road to be smart for all the other David Patricks out there.

“To the drivers, just pay a little bit more attention. You never know whose life you’re going to take,” Morrel said.”

Smith recalled a peaceful memory he and his friend shared in the year-and-a-half they knew each other. He said they both made peace with this exact circumstance.

“Me and him both talked about this particular dying in a motorcycle crash.” recalled Smith. “There’s no better way either of us would have picked to go, but we didn’t expect it to be so soon. You know what I mean?”