Ball State University sophomore Tyler Rose died early Thursday morning in a motorcycle crash on the South Side of Indianapolis while fleeing from police trying to pull him over for speeding.
Jim Adams, Rose's stepfather, described Rose, who was a criminal justice and criminology major, as "a great kid that just made a bad mistake." Rose did not attend Ball State in the spring but planned to return to the university in the fall to continue working on his degree.
Tony Hamble, a friend of Rose's who was riding with him on a separate motorcycle shortly before the accident, said the two were riding south on U.S. 31 and nearing Banta Road when Hamble saw police lights approach from behind.
Hamble continued through the intersection and pulled his bike over, he said, while Rose turned left onto Banta Road and headed east, fleeing from police.
Rose, 20, crashed at about 12:19 a.m. near the intersection of Banta and McFarland roads, according to police reports. The reports do not indicate how fast Rose was driving.
Rose lost control while driving through an S curve and struck a sign on the 2900 block of East Banta Road, according to a police report. He continued past the sign and hit a tree and was thrown about 100 feet from the motorcycle.
Rose sustained a fatal head injury and was pronounced dead at about 12:20 a.m., according to a police report.
Rose still had his motorcycle learner's permit and had not received his motorcycle operator's license yet. He had received two tickets in a traffic stop about two weeks ago, senior Jullie Bullard, a friend of Rose's, said. At the time he received the tickets, Rose was riding at night, riding with a passenger, and riding without a helmet, all of which are illegal for Indiana motorcyclists using a learner's permit.
Hamble said he found out after the accident that Rose had told friends he would run if police tried to pull him over again. Alcohol was not involved in Rose's decision to flee, he said. Police reports confirm alcohol was not a factor.
"He was with me the whole day, and I don't drink and drive, so I think that's out of the question," he said. "I don't think he had anything to do with drugs or alcohol when he was riding his bike."
Adams said his stepson had purchased the motorcycle he crashed, a 2006 Yamaha YZF "a couple months ago." The YZF is commonly classified as a sport bike, which is a kind of street bike known more for speed than for comfort.
"He always wanted a motorcycle," Adams said. "Our worst fear was that this day would come. We knew deep down it probably would."
Justin Watson, a former roommate of Rose's, said Rose purchased the motorcycle despite being discouraged to do so by family and friends.
Although Rose was known as a fast driver whether on a bike or in a car, Watson said he never felt unsafe when Rose was at the wheel.
Donna Adams, Rose's mother, said his one fault was his affinity for speed.
"Whether car or motorcycle or jet ski, [he] was driving as fast as he could," she said. "That's the way he went through life: full throttle."
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