COLUMBIA, S.C. — Curtis Miles never considered himself a “stepdad” to Stevie. They were as close as could be.

“I don’t even like the word stepdad. Steven and I became very good friends,” he said.

Miles watched Stevie grow from a teenager into a man and father. Their bond, built over years, was made to last.

“He was so funny,” Miles remembered. “This guy could keep me laughing.”

A family shattered by tragedy

Then, in an instant, a motorcycle crash changed everything.

A van struck the family.

Miles and Stevie’s mother, Tasha, each lost a leg. Miles also suffered severe injuries to his arm.

Stevie didn’t make it.

His mom and stepdad saw his final moments — a memory that remains etched in their minds.

“A young woman out there is now a widow. Way too soon. There’s three kids that don’t have a dad anymore. And there’s Tasha, my wife, that doesn’t have her baby boy anymore,” Curtis said.

Risks on the road

Stevie’s death reflects a troubling reality for many South Carolina families and motorcycle enthusiasts, where the risk of riding remains high.

According to Easton Law Offices, South Carolina ranks as the seventh most dangerous state for motorcyclists based on the number of deaths per 10,000 registered riders in the state.

Local bike shop owners and South Carolina motorcycle lawyers point out most accidents happen from distracted drivers on their phones. They say injuries are worse when riders do not wear the proper gear.

In South Carolina, any cyclist over the age of 21 doesn’t have to wear a helmet, increasing the risk of severe injuries in accidents.

A warning from experience

For bike shop father-son duo, Mario and Louis Sias, stories like Stevie’s hit close to home.

The Sias run RestoMoto, a local bike repair and custom shop.

Mario has warned Louis for years: riding motorcycles isn’t about “if” an accident will happen, but “when.” With just a year of experience, Louis experienced his first minor crash.

“Everything was going in slow motion when I fell,” said Louis.

He walked away unharmed, crediting his gear for protecting him, but others haven’t been as fortunate.

This year alone, the Sias family has lost more than a dozen friends and customers to crashes.

Across town, Travis Darken, owner of Target Motorsports, faces the same heartbreaking losses of customers to crashes.

Mario and Louis Sias working on a bike together at their shop, RestoMoto

“It was nine last year,” Darken said, “It’s heartbreaking.”

As the motorcycle community continues to experience accidents, many riders and families don’t get the closure they want.

Honoring Stevie’s legacy

About 2.5 years after Stevie, Curtis, and Tasha’s accident, police haven’t arrested the man who struck them.

It was hit-and-run. The driver hasn’t been caught.

Despite the lack of justice, they seek, Curtis and Tasha find strength in honoring Stevie.

“We have got to the point where now when we think about him, we can do it with a smile and not a bunch of tears,” Miles said.