Hamilton parents urge road safety after son, 23, killed in motorcycle crash

A Hamilton couple is asking drivers to ensure they’re always aware of their surroundings following their son’s death in a crash.

Their call to action comes just a week after their 23-year-old son, Connor, was killed in a collision while riding his motorcycle on Eastport Drive near Burlington’s Skyway Bridge.

“He got a motorcycle this year and he enjoyed life, he smiled, he met a community. He travelled from Niagara Falls past Vaughan. The bike was his world when he wasn’t at work,” said CJ Opdam, Connor’s mother.

Both of Connor’s parents, CJ and John, have been riding motorcycles for years. They said they had just one chance to hit the roads as a family.

“We had the chance this year to take what we call the “Niagara scenic route”. So we rode as a family and that’s something I’ll always cherish,” CJ said.

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say the crash Connor was killed in involved a 74-year-old man driving an SUV. He turned left in front of the motorcyclist, Connor, onto Beach Boulevard.

The investigation remains ongoing and no charges have been laid.

READ MORE: Motorcyclist killed after crash on Eastport Drive under Burlington Skyway

Connor had been working as an airplane mechanic at Hamilton’s John C. Munro Airport, a job his family said he was passionate about. Connor graduated from Mohawk college two years ago.

“‘He wore his heart on his sleeve, cared about everybody. We’re proud of him, of everything he’s done,” John said.

“I never introduced him as my friend or my best friend. It was always ‘this is my big brother Connor’,” said Claudia Johnstone, Connor’s childhood friend.

“He was one of the most compassionate people I’ve ever met in my life and I know everyone says that. But this guy, his soul was literally just an A+ kind of person,” Johnstone said.

Friday night, CJ and John will be meeting many of Connor’s other friends for the first time, his “two wheel community” as they call it. This includes Dylan Caressa, who rode with Connor at least once a week.

“I ride with him because he’s safe. A lot of riders I won’t even dare go on a ride with them just cause I don’t trust them,” Caressa said.

A family friend launched a GoFundMe campaign for Connor’s parents and older brother, with the money to be put towards funeral expenses.

A celebration of life will be held at Smith’s Funeral Home in Stoney Creek Oct. 3.

READ MORE: Motorcyclist seriously injured in Burlington Skyway crash