Family, friends remember crash victim

WOONSOCKET, R.I. (WPRI) - Family and friends of a Woonsocket man killed in a weekend motorcycle crash said Monday he was a responsible rider.

32-year-old Jermaine Wynkoop lost control of his motorcycle on Putnam Pike in the village of Chepachet Sunday. His friend riding behind him said he saw Wynkoop wobble out of control, hit a stump in the road, then strike a guardrail.

Wynkoop was thrown from the motorcycle, and was killed instantly. Police, his friends, and his family all said he was wearing a helmet.

"I still hurts that my brother is gone," said Wynkoop's sister. "But it does ease a little pain knowing that he did not suffer."

A memorial tribute has gone up near the site of the accident. Friends are also raising money for Wynkoop's family, including his three-year-old son.

While his friends said Wynkoop knew the dangers of riding, his cousin wonders if Wynkoop's impatience may have played a part in what happened.

"I heard something on his bike needed to be worked on, and he did not want to wait for it," Benjamin Cudjo said. "He should have waited."