A 26-year-old motorcyclist killed when he crashed into a guardrail in Washington Heights had only recently gotten the Kawasaki he was taking out on a practice ride — after saving up to buy it for two years, his heartbroken sister says.
Ty Rodriguez was riding with a friend when he lost control on Harlem River Drive near W. 170th St. about 2:20 a.m. last Thursday, cops said.
“It was a very nice bike,” said the victim’s sister, Mina Rodriguez, 22. “It was like fulfilling a dream that he had.”
Ty was a cautious rider, his sister said.
“He just wanted more practice on the bike,” she said of her brother’s last ride on his 2023 Kawasaki Ninja.
“It was a bike for beginners so it wasn’t like he was going for the most expensive or fancy bike. He knew what the options were and went with it. He was smart about it. He didn’t get a bike that was too advanced for him.”
Ty died at the scene from severe head trauma.
Mina was in the habit of tracking her brother’s location on the Life360 app. When he crashed she got an alert from the app that he may have been in an accident.
“I texted him and I was hoping he might have just dropped his phone,” Mina said. “I was hoping for the best.”
“By the time my dad called us in the morning I kind of had an Idea of what it was,” she added. “I had such a hard time going to sleep after that and I was praying it wasn’t what I thought it was.”
Ty had a passion for bikes ever since he was a teen and wanted to buy a motorcycle when he was older. He took lessons to learn how to ride and received a license.
He worked jobs in construction and as a valet, all while studying civil engineering at City College, as he saved up money for two years to get the motorcycle, his sister said.
Ty was born in Atlanta and moved to New York City in 2020 to pursue work. He lived with his grandparents and father in Washington Heights. He was just over a mile from home when he crashed.
The NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad is still investigating the crash.
Ty’s family is holding a funeral for him in the Bronx on Wednesday after raising over $20,000 on GoFundMe to help cover the services.
“Ty was the kindest, most selfless person that I have ever met. There is not a single thing he wouldn’t do for his friends or family. There is not a single person that was his enemy. Everybody loved Ty,” Mina said.
“He has received so much love these past few days. The GoFundMe went crazy within the first day. Instagram was flooded with people saying how much they loved him. He had such a strong circle it was insane. He was so much loved and had love for everybody.”
