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'Half of me is gone': Family, friends remember motorcycle driver struck by vehicle, killed in Bowling Green crash

On July 31, Craig Bockbrader and his son, Tristin, were on separate motorcycles when a 16-year-old driver in a truck backed out of a driveway and hit both of them.

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — On July 31 in Bowling Green, the Bockbrader family's lives changed forever in an instant.

Craig Bockbrader and his son, Tristin Bockbrader, were on separate motorcycles when a 16-year-old driver in a truck backed out of a driveway on Kellogg Road and hit them both.

The pair were airlifted to the hospital for critical care.

Two weeks later, Craig Bockbrader is now home and recovering from his injuries.

But Tristin Bockbrader died Monday.

"How do I feel? Half of me is gone," Craig Bockbrader said. "I struggle with the fact I'm never going to have him back. I'm so used to having him come over."

Craig Bockbrader said that following the crash, his life has felt surreal without his 22-year-old son.

"He was a go-getter. He didn't have any enemies. He loved everybody, and everybody loved him. Everywhere you go, people would tell stories about how he would help them and light up their lives," Craig Bockbrader said. "He had a big smile."

Credit: Bockbrader family
Craig Bockbrader, left, with his son Tristin Bockbrader.

When the crash happened, Craig Bockbrader's wife, Candace Fenton, was in Texas coaching a professional women's softball team.

Fenton expressed her deep appreciation to her team for their understanding as she packed up and left immediately when she found out.

"I flew home the morning after the accident to be with my family. I was unable to return to Texas, but my team, led by Lilli Piper, packed up my apartment and is driving my Jeep back up today," Fenton said. "We are so blessed to have such amazing people all over helping our family."

However, the help does not end there.

From multiple neighbors donating food to helping out around the house, neighbor Frank Davis has been helping out the family.

"It just totally crushed me," Davis said. "I just don't understand how things like this can happen. It just devastated us, my wife and I."

Davis said he's been friends with the Bockbrader family for years and never thought something like this would happen.

"He seemed like a really nice young man. It just broke my heart to see him passing. Life's going to be different now," Davis said. "Craig and Candace are just one of those neighbors that everybody wishes they had. At the drop of a hat if you needed something, you could give Craig a call and he'd be right there to help out. They're one of those dream neighbors."

Erinn Gankosky got to know Tristin Bockbrader through her friendship with Fenton. She said as a parent, she could not imagine what the Bockbrader family is going through.

"I cannot wrap my mind around it. The feelings that they are going through, the emotions, and everything that they'll go through here on out," Gankosky said. "It's just so unimaginable. It's just so important to be aware of your surroundings and be paying attention."

Fenton said she was grateful to the people who had been helping out during one of the hardest times in their lives.

"We are so grateful to Erinn. She is one of our closest friends, she's more like family to us," Fenton said. "We've had tons of people coming over to give us food, financial help. It's just been awesome to see the outpouring of help we've had on multiple levels."

Credit: Bockbrader family
Craig Bockbrader (second from the left) and son Tristin Bockbrader (far right) were hit by a driver while riding their motorcycles in Bowling Green.

Despite the tragedy, Craig Bockbrader said he feels empathy despite his frustration.

"I feel a little bit of bitterness, a little bit of rage. But I also feel kindness at the same time towards the kid who hit us, because I know he didn't do it on purpose either," Craig Bockbrader said. "I hope he's okay."

He explained he wanted to honor his son's memory while raising awareness to watch for motorcyclists.

"A life ended because someone wasn't paying attention, and it is so avoidable," Craig Bockbrader said. "So what I'm saying is, please be careful. Look twice. He was just a good human. The world lost a very good human."

The Wood County Sheriff's Office told WTOL 11 at this time, they are working with the Wood County Juvenile Prosecutor's Office and the state of Ohio to determine charges for the 16-year-old driver suspected of hitting the Bockbraders.

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