Loved ones remember Bradenton man killed in motorcycle crash

Mark West Jr. was "full of life," and had a full life ahead of him before he died last month in a motorcycle crash.

Within the past year, the 26-year-old who was born in Texas but lived in Utah for years, had moved to Lakewood Ranch and started a job at Marine Concepts in Sarasota, where he was an engineer.

"He loved Sarasota, he loved his job," West's mother, Kimberly Sachs, said.

West worked on boat hulls, flight simulators and amusement park rides, Sachs said.

One of his college roommates from Auburn University, Ross Kennedy, is from Sarasota and the two of them spent time together deep sea fishing.

"That was an anchor for him," Sachs said.

Kennedy, 25, said not only did they live together, but they also worked at Marine Concepts together while West applied for master's degree programs.

"I got to work with my best friend every day," Kennedy said.

"Always planning and creating some new endeavor, Mark packed his 26 years with as much activity and achievement as humanly possible. His effervescent spirit infected all who knew him with love and fun," West's obituary stated.

Just eight days before the crash that took his life, West had proposed to his girlfriend and high school sweetheart, according to his obituary.

On March 24, West was riding his motorcycle in the southbound left lane of Lorraine Road near Waterway Boulevard around 1:40 p.m. when he tried to negotiate a curve in the road, according to a Florida Highway Patrol Crash report. Troopers said West lost control of the motorcycle, which struck a concrete median. The motorcycle fell on its left side and West was thrown onto the grassy median.

He was taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries, according to FHP.

West had been riding motorcycles and dirt bikes his whole life, his mother said. When the family lived in Utah, he would go on dirt bike trails and over jumps.

"He was full of life, he was a careful rider," Sachs said. "We have no idea what the heck happened."

West's brother, Daniel, also died while on a motorcycle 19 months ago, Sachs said. She tried to convince Mark to get rid of his bike, but he told her he would be fine.

"There was nothing he didn't think he could do," Sachs said.

Kennedy said West mostly rode for fun, occasionally taking his motorcycle out to Myakka River State Park.

"He loved that bike," Kennedy said.

For Kennedy, West's passing has not entirely sunk in yet. He said coming home from a recent vacation without West there "felt weird."

"Just a stand-up guy, had a real bright future ahead of him," Kennedy said. "It's a real shame that we lost somebody so young and so bright."

This story was originally published April 11, 2018 at 1:23 PM with the headline "Loved ones remember Bradenton man killed in motorcycle crash."