TACOMA, Wash. — A community is in mourning over a 38-year-old Auburn man lovingly referred to as “the star of the neighborhood.”
Motorcyclist Shane Roberts' death comes amid a steady rise in fatal collisions on Washington roadways during the summer months.
During the summer months— June, July, and August— Washington roads become the setting for half of all motorcycle fatalities for the year, according to data from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.
Roberts' friend and neighbor Victor Handburgh Jr. paid a visit Saturday night to the same place where he saw his friend die from his injuries six days prior. He attached balloons to the blossoming roadside memorial featuring his friend's photo on a telephone pole surrounded by bouquets of flowers.
Still reeling from shock and grief, Handburgh was not ready to interview on camera, but he said, “Treat motorcyclists like your loved ones... Leave enough room for caution and error, we all want to get home and make it to our loved ones safely."
He said Roberts had encouraged him to get out on his motorcycle again and find that feeling of freedom.
Handburgh describes Roberts as an animal lover, and kind, even when nobody’s looking.
He said after their elderly neighbor's wife passed, Roberts would check in on him every day to ensure he had everything he needed.
"We only have one life to live," said Handburgh. "Just, be very cautious, please.”
The two friends rode for the first time together last weekend, down the scenic waterfront of Ruston Way in the North End of Tacoma.
While riding, Handburgh said he and Roberts got boxed between a median and a car. When he hit the curb, he got ejected and landed feet away from the collision site.
Handburgh said the loss of Roberts is profound for those who loved him, especially his mother and father.
For him, it was traumatizing to see his friend die. He spent his time at the roadside memorial to share a special message for his departed friend: "Ya gotta love you, Shane, so, rest in peace brother.”