Area motorcyclists unite to raise awareness after deadly crash

ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- Last week, Odessa motorcyclist Vance Peek, 33, was on his way to pick up his four-year-old daughter when his life was cut short amid a three-vehicle crash. Now, Peek's loved ones are calling for awareness, and harsher penalties for drivers involved in deadly crashes, as fatal motorcycle crashes continue to rise across Texas.

Around 4:24 p.m. on June 21, officers with the Odessa Police Department were called to the 4500 block of NE Loop 338 and Arroyo Road to investigate a crash involving a motorcyclist. Investigators said Peek was traveling north on the Loop on his Harley Davidson motorcycle when the driver of a Ford F-150 failed to yield the right of way and caused a crash. Peek was taken to a local hospital with life threatening injuries and died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

Peek's friends said he was his daughter's sole caretaker after her mother's death; they said Peek was taken too soon, and that this crash never should have happened. 

"Because somebody got in a hurry, they've now deprived a little girl of their father forever," said Troy, a fellow motorcyclist who often rode with Peek as part of Odessa MC, a group of riders dedicated to giving back to the community.

That group is now calling on other drivers to remain vigilant, and look twice for motorcycles, especially during the warmer months, when more bikes are on the road. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, deadly moto...