Over 100 motorcyclists gather to honor fallen St. George rider, raise money for his daughter

ST. GEORGE — A group of friends who ride motorcycles recently rallied behind a 3-year-old girl whose father died after crashing on his motorcycle last year. 

Braylon Lynn Mitchell who was honored with a motorcycle ride and fundraiser for a trust account for his daughter for when she is older, St. George, Utah, unspecified date | Photo courtesy of Teri Mitchell, St. George News

Randy Lamoreaux told St. George News he and a group of friends organized the rally for the family of Braylon Lynn Mitchell. Gathered funding will be put toward a trust account for Mitchell’s daughter for her when she is older, he said. 

“Our main focus and vision as a group are to find families or individuals that have been affected. Sadly you don’t have to look far these days to find people who have been affected by motorcycle accidents,” Randy Lamoreaux, who organized the rally, told St. George News. “We rally around the families, with their permission, of course, and we put together an event to raise awareness for motorcycle safety to work to raise money.”

Mitchell was 24 at the time of his passing on Sept. 25, 2022.

In an email to St. George News, his mother, Teri Mitchell, said the motorcycle crash occurred two years earlier at the intersection of Mall Drive and River Road in St. George. She said although Mitchell was “truly lucky to be alive,” the damage to his body was severe and required multiple surgeries. Her son spent a long time in the hospital but ultimately could not recover. 

The motorcycle ride and fundraiser began at the Zion Harley-Davidson on Sunday with a drive to Hidden Valley Park in Bloomington. In addition to the many riders, Mitchell said she is so grateful for the business donations for the raffle to honor her son’s memory.

“Our family cannot express the level of gratitude in our hearts for all those involved who attended and those who donated their time and money,” she said. “Your love echos. “

The family has dubbed Lamoreaux’s crew “Heroes of the Heart,” she said, adding that heroes don’t always wear capes; sometimes, they ride motorcycles and give their hearts to those in need.

“The love and camaraderie just touched our hearts,” she added. 

Lamoreaux said that he was impressed with how many people came out to support the event. He said there were 75 motorcycle riders locally and a few from Northern Utah besides his group of seven friends. Lamoreaux estimated 150 people attended the raffle at the park. 

“I can’t remember the last time almost 80 bikes came together for a ride in St. George. I know there’s a fair share of accidents that are caused by the bikers themselves, but the majority of accidents are caused by drivers that are not paying attention,” Lamoreaux said. “Whether it be drivers on their phones, eating a meal while driving or simply not being aware of their surroundings and what’s going on.”

Drivers also need to be more aware of motorcycle riders. Lamoreaux said it’s more than likely a driver of a vehicle will hear a bike long before they see it. He and his friends hope to raise motorcycle safety awareness on the road.

“I’m on a mission to see if there’s some way that we can get more education and awareness taught to youngsters as they’re learning to get their license so that it’s ingrained in them at a young age,” he said. “Whether they ever end up riding a bike themselves or not it’s very important for them to understand there’s a large number of bikes out on the road.”

Collisions can happen in a moment, he said.

“If you’re not paying attention and you accidentally have an accident with a bike, more than likely, they’re dead,” he added. “You may walk away with a scratch and a bruise; they’re probably going to end up losing their life. And then that drivers got to carry the weight, the stress of causing that.”

Some of the motorcycle riders who supported the fundraiser ride and raffle, Bloomington, Utah, March 26, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Teri Mitchell

As a family, the Mitchells created a slogan to share in their son’s honor “Ride ‘n Ready.” And because his motorcycle crash impacted their lives so significantly, Mitchell shared these tips:

  1. Be ready for anything and everything while riding.
  2. Stay present, focused, alert and always be aware of your surroundings at all times. 
  3. Do not expect other drivers to see or hear you. You must hyper-focus and anticipate the possible actions and reactions of others around you to avoid possibly dangerous situations.

Lamoreaux said he first was inspired to get his friends together to do fundraisers two years ago. One of his close friends, Noah Ruddick, was on his motorcycle and was hit by a motorist who wasn’t paying attention, he said. While Ruddick survived, he had to spend a month in the hospital and use a cane when released.

Then when Mitchell passed, Ruddick reached out to Lamoreaux and requested that the Mitchell family be chosen for a fundraiser. Ruddick wanted Darin and Teri Mitchell’s family to benefit because they visited him two years earlier on Christmas Day when they didn’t know him and he didn’t know them.

He was so grateful for their support and “a sign of love.”

“It really made a lasting impression on Noah,” Lamoreaux said.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

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