A tight-knit group of neighbors came together Tuesday afternoon to give a motorcyclist who crashed into a parked truck in El Cajon time to say goodbye to his family before he died.
Neighbors along Valley Lake Drive said they heard a motorcycle driving very loud and very fast through their neighborhood near Grossmont College. Several heard a loud thud outside and went to investigate, finding a horrific scene.
Within the first several minutes, neighbor and pediatric nurse Jerome LePari ran out and used his belt to apply a tourniquet to the man's leg. His wife Jennifer LePari is also a nurse and said he is always calm under pressure.
"It's your duty, you're the person, you're the man or the woman that has to step up when these things arise and at that moment that's what I felt I had to do," Jerome LePario said.
Neighbors surrounded the accident, shining flashlights in the dark for Jerome LePari to work and communicating with incoming first responders about his injuries including a nearly detached leg.
"It was tragic. It was a horrible scene," neighbor Gayle Obrien said. "We have lots of wonderful neighbors and we gave him some time so his family could say goodbye because he didn't survive, unfortunately."
The El Cajon Police Department said the motorcyclist was riding along Valley Lake Drive when he hit a parked car around 8:20 p.m. He suffered major injuries, was transported to Sharp Memorial Hospital, and died Tuesday, police confirmed.
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Police said speed was a contributing factor and it was unknown if drugs or alcohol were involved.
The large work truck's fiberglass was splintered and its front tire was blown out in the crash. Obrien told NBC 7 it is her son's truck.
Neighbors also said he was wearing a helmet. The motorcyclist's name has not yet been released.
"Slow down, it doesn't matter if you are 10 minutes late or 20 minutes late, you are still going to get there. Slow down," Obrien added.
