Tragedy in York: Mom mourns second teen son lost to motorcycle crash. He 'loved life.'

YORK, Maine — Sarah Parker said her son, Adam, was a budding motorcycle enthusiast who had a love for fixing up old bikes and cars.

At 17, Adam was well aware of the risks of riding, she said, especially after losing his older brother Nathan at age 19 to a motorcycle crash two years ago.

“He knew that riding a bike was risky, and you’re always a moment from death,” Sarah said of her son. “But he was determined … to ride.”

She called him a “go-getter” who lived by the motto, “Live now, not tomorrow because tomorrow’s never promised.”

This week, Sarah and her husband Dan are facing the heartbreaking task of burying their second son from a motorcycle crash. Adam died July 16 after crashing his motorcycle on Route 91, Cider Hill Road, in York. Police reported no other vehicle was involved, and his mother believes he accidentally struck a fire hydrant on the side of the road.

A cross, accompanied by flowers and pictures from friends and family, has been placed near the accident site.

Mom remembers son: He was a 'wonderful boy'

Adam Parker was born in York, though his family grew up in rural Lebanon where riding bikes and ATVs became routine as kids got older. He had a younger brother, Caleb, and an older sister, MaKaila. Adam loved wrestling, football, karate, and vehicles.

“He just loved life,” Sarah said. “He would go after it wholeheartedly.”

Sarah said Adam was "smart and kind," but also known to be a little snarky. She said her son also had an entrepreneurial spirit, recalling when he was younger that he would try and sell classroom items, snacks and Matchbox cars in school.

“We didn’t realize it until he got in trouble at school,” Sarah said. “He beat to his own drum.”

Sarah said in his teen years, Adam was always fixing things. He also tried his hand at masonry and, most recently, worked at Brian’s Trailer Repair in Berwick.

“He wasn’t the sit-down read, type of boy,” she said. “He was a hands-on, ‘let me do it with my hands’ type of kid.”

She said Adam was a hard worker who, like the rest of his family, stood firm in his faith. She described him as “fun-loving” and “caring,” noting that she never met anyone who didn’t love him.

“He’s a wonderful boy,” Sarah said. “Strong and determined.”

Family mourns second son killed in motorcycle crash

Sarah Parker said the death of her eldest son, Nathan, in a motorcycle crash in 2022, devastated the family. Despite the tragedy, she said Nathan’s siblings remained fascinated with motorcycles.

“It took a lot of wind out of all of our sails,” Sarah said. “It made me uncomfortable as a mom, but I can’t be selfish and not let my children ride.”

Sarah said Adam spent a lot of time “bombing around” town on his bike, sometimes with friends but often alone.She recalled the moment when she first found out he was in an accident. An alert on her phone via the Life360 app went off, indicating Adam was in York and had either dropped his phone or been in an accident.

“Immediately, we started heading toward where it said,” Sarah said.

The Parkers called emergency dispatch and were instructed to go directly to Portsmouth Regional Hospital. When they arrived, they learned that Adam had succumbed to injuries sustained in the crash.

Sarah said a week after the crash, she still had not received word of exactly what injuries Adam suffered. She said she was told it was likely a combination of head injuries and internal bleeding.

Family grateful for community support

Sarah said her family is now preparing for his funeral, which will take place on Saturday, July 27, in Barrington, New Hampshire.

A GoFundMe page has raised more than $7,000 to help the Parkers with funeral costs and other expenses related to the tragedy.

The page was started by Jessica Roy. She wrote her son, Mason, was Adam's best friend.

"The two had a bond that most of us in life could only wish for," she wrote. "He and Mase were two peas in a pod. Where there was one, there was the other."

Roy started the page to help the family in their time of grief.

"I cannot fathom what they are all enduring and the increased hardships that they will face forever because of this," she wrote.

Sarah said the support of the community has been appreciated.

“Losing children does something to your mama heart,” Sarah said. “Breaks it.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Tragedy in York: Mom mourns second teen son lost to motorcycle crash. He 'loved life.'