Marine veteran dies in Downriver motorcycle accident

A former Marine and avid motorcyclist died in a horrific accident Downriver.

It's the phone call that caused Chris Walker's heart to drop - hearing of a motorcycle crash in Wyandotte. That rider was his best friend, Chris Bradybaugh.

"The bike they described was his bike," Walker said. "I couldn't believe it.

"I just miss looking down there and seeing him smile. I just wish I could bring him back."

Walker says 33-year-old Chris Bradybaugh of Trenton had been working with him at Bright Power Sports in Lincoln Park. The two met for breakfast every morning before work.

But Saturday morning, riding down Fort Street, Bradybaugh crashed.

"He swerved from hitting that car into a car pulling out of a turnaround," Walker said. "And he didn't make it to work."

His close friend said Bradybaugh loved to ride, was hard-working and always arrived early for work with a smile. He was a Marine deployed to Iraq.

Walker was proud of Bradybaugh's service and can't help but glance at the door waiting for his friend to walk in.

Walker says Bradybaugh's mother was everything to him after losing his father at a young age. Walker and his fellow co-workers are only thinking of her now.

"We'll be there if she needs us," he said. "Me and everybody else, we're not her sons but we will treat her as our mom. If she needs us, we will help."

Wyandotte police tell FOX 2 drugs or alcohol don't appear to be factors in the crash but say they're unsure how fast Bradybaugh was going.

The investigation is ongoing and charges, possible. During Motorcycle Awareness Month Walker is reminding drivers and riders to be careful.

"You have to be thinking 10 steps ahead of everybody," Walker said. "Riding a motorcycle is a privilege."

Now every day a fresh rose is placed there in Bradybaugh's name.

"He was a happy-go-lucky guy," Walker said. "He was unlucky on that day."

If you would like to make a donation to the family's funeral expenses, you can do so via their GoFundMe account here.