JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The family of Taylor Yescavage is remembering him as a loving father, son and brother full of life, laughter and kindness.

According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Yescavage’s death is one of 24 traffic fatalities in Duval County this year involving a motorcycle or bicycle. For his family, these numbers are more than statistics.

Yescavage was leaving work early on July 31 to get home, tidy up and prepare dinner, but he never made it home.

Investigators say an SUV made a U-turn at the intersection of Lem Turner Road and Prospect Street, turning directly into the path of Yescavage’s motorcycle. He was pronounced dead shortly after being rushed to the hospital.

His sister, Alyssa Allred, described her brother as someone who lit up the room.

“Once you got into the core of that onion, there was no getting out of it,” she said. “I always was the annoying little sister that tried to do everything with him.”

The family’s pain remains raw 11 days after the crash.

“It just didn’t feel real,” Allred said. “It was all so surreal when it first happened. I’ll never get over it.”

His family says Taylor was a twin; his brother Benjamin died when they were very young. To honor that memory, Yescavage named his own son after his twin brother.

His two young children now hold on to pictures and memories of their father.

“I’ll always love him because his smile was stamped on the world,” Allred said.

Through her grief, Allred is urging all drivers to be vigilant.

“It could be anybody, a pedestrian, a motorcycle, a person on a regular bike,” she said. “It doesn’t matter. You just need to be aware. Just look twice.”

The family plans to hold a final ride and celebration of life for Taylor next month in Jacksonville.

The details can be found here. The family has also set up a GoFundMe. 

The driver involved in the crash was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to recover.