An emotional memorial ride was held in Claremore on Friday in honor of Alexander Escobar, a motorcyclist who died in a horrific incident in Tulsa on September 15th. The riders gathered to honor their dead friend and fellow rider at the Route 66 Sports Bar, a place where Alex used to hang out.
In addition to being Alex's close friend, Jake Brown, the ride leader for the tribute, is a passionate supporter of motorcycle safety. In light of the risks motorcyclists encounter, Brown offered a sobering reminder of the importance of maintaining a high level of road awareness.
“It's an epidemic, so we have to be very aware of it,” Brown stated. Also during the tour for the event, he described a near miss in which he barely avoided a head-on collision. Brown sees Alex's death as highlighting a terrible truth. “This weekend I'm participating in three memorial rides in honor of those who died last month. Brown noted that two of them left behind very young children, highlighting the rising rate of motorcycle deaths.
He asked everyone using the roads to exercise caution. According to Brown, “five seconds of looking can save someone's life.”
Alex loved to ride his motorcycle and was a dedicated motorcyclist, as his friends and family remember. “He loved that motorcycle. He'd go through town at least two or three times a day, and I'd see him. Always, we'd wave,” Brown remarked.
Lilian Escobar, Alex's sister, also participated in the memorial ride and spoke movingly about her brother. She talked about how important it is to see her friends and the locations she likes, while wearing her favorite clothes. “I feel so close to him being here, meeting all his friends and seeing all his favorite places,” commented Lillian.
She remembered Alex as a talented technician who shared her enthusiasm for riding motorcycles and loved working on them.
The memorial ride served as both a somber reminder of the dangers motorcyclists face on a daily basis and as a tribute to Alex. The event gave Brown and those who knew Alex a chance to reflect on his life and advocate for increased traffic and safety awareness.
Alexander Escobar's legacy endured because of the people who loved and rode alongside him, even as the thunderous roar of motorcycles echoed around Claremore.
