‘We’re all heartbroken,’ family says after Bradenton man killed in motorcycle crash
“Dickie’s been killed” is all Lou Ann Higgins heard when she received an unexpected and tearful 3 a.m. call from her sister, telling her their brother had died in a Bradenton motorcycle crash.
Richard “Dick” Swenson, 76, of Bradenton, died on June 23 after an SUV driver made a left turn into his path. He died instantly after hitting the SUV, the Bradenton Police Department shared in a Facebook post.
The crash happened just before 8:30 p.m. on Manatee Avenue near Village Green Parkway.
Swenson was on his way home from a friend’s house when another car pulled out in front of him, Higgins told the Bradenton Herald on Wednesday.
“My brother completely had the right of way,” she said.
“The older couple (in the SUV) was going out for ice cream and were at a flashing yellow light when they pulled out onto Manatee Avenue and just didn’t see him. They didn’t see my brother,” Higgins said.
Higgins said her brother rode motorcycles for decades and was a cautious rider, but “there was nothing he could do. These people pulled out in front of him and there was nothing he could do to avoid it.”
Higgins said her brother could do what others his age usually couldn’t.
“Longevity is in our family,” Higgins said. “Our mom and dad were 91 and 96 when they died.”
The crash was not criminal, police said, and no charges will be filed.
‘Honoring Dick Swenson’ GoFundMe
Swenson and his wife, Delisa, had recently celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary before his death. Higgins said the couple relocated to Bradenton from Indiana shortly after they tied the knot and have lived in Manatee County for nearly 40 years.
Swenson had three children: a daughter, Candace, and two sons, Jonathon and Aaron. He also had three grandchildren.
Last Wednesday, a celebration of life ceremony was held for family and friends to say their final goodbyes. In his hometown of Terre Haute, Indiana, a second family service will be held at the cemetery where his parents and sister are buried.
The family has set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise $15,000 for his funeral arrangements and to aid his family in the coming days and months.
“I hate, hate, hate that he is gone. I hate it for his wife and his family. We’re all heartbroken.” Higgins said. “But I am glad — glad he went quick on a bike doing something he loved.”
A poker run, a kind of motorcycle ride, will be held in Swenson’s honor this Sunday, July 9, starting at Peggy’s Corral in Palmetto.
Family urges motorcycle safety
There have been 93 crashes involving motorcycles in Manatee County, with four people killed, between January and June, according to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle Crash Dashboard, which tracks traffic incidents across the state.
Higgins hopes her brother’s tragedy will make drivers more cautious when sharing the road with motorcyclists.
“People need to be aware of bikes on the road. Look twice both ways. Sometimes, I even look three times,” she said.
You can donate to their GoFundMe, Honoring Dick Swenson, here: gofundme.com.
