UK student, father dies in motorcycle crash near campus; toddler son died in November

A 35-year-old motorcyclist was killed Tuesday night in a crash on South Upper Street between Bolivar and Scott streets in Lexington near the University of Kentucky campus.

Shayn Elexendere, of Berea, died at 9:57 p.m., according to the Fayette County coroner. Elexendere was a military veteran and a UK nursing student, university spokesman Jay Blanton said.

Elexendere’s son, Shepard “Shep” Euston Elexendere, 2, died in November 2015.

Writing in a public Facebook post about his son, Elexendere said “beyond his two years, he was a happy, happy boy, who laughed before he ever cooed, babbled or even really cried.”

A witness told police that Elexendere was riding through a curve about 9:30 p.m. and lost control; the motorcycle left the road and struck a low wall, police Lt. Andrew Daugherty told the Herald-Leader on Tuesday.

Elexendere was taken to University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital, where he died, police Lt. Richard Willoby said.

A portion of South Upper Street was closed while a collision reconstruction unit investigated the crash, Daugherty said.

This story was originally published May 4, 2016 at 8:17 AM with the headline "UK student, father dies in motorcycle crash near campus; toddler son died in November."