Army Sgt. Jake Sheldon has died after spending multiple days in a coma and on life support, according to his mother. A driver struck Jake's motorcycle on Interstate 8 near Gila Bend.
Officials with the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) told ABC15 the crash happened at 5:59 a.m. on June 10 on eastbound Interstate 8 at milepost 95. Sheldon was riding his motorcycle to visit friends at a nearby national park when a passenger vehicle struck him.
AZDPS troopers cited the driver for failure to control his vehicle to avoid a collision. The driver told troopers the sun was in his eyes and that he did not see the motorcycle. Investigators say they ruled out impairment.
Jake's family said he was wearing a helmet and full protective gear at the time of the crash.
The family is still piecing together the full circumstances of the crash and is calling on anyone who may have witnessed it to come forward.
"Nowadays with so many dash cams and people driving by taking pictures and stuff, if anybody happened to capture it on camera, or, you know, we would just love to connect with them," Jake's uncle Greg Sheldon said.
The family is also pushing for a deeper look into what led up to the collision.
"We're gonna ask the authorities to dig deeper into it and see. You know, was he not paying attention? Was he on his phone, you know, who knows what," Greg said. "We'd love to hear from any witnesses that happen to catch it or see anything. It would be helpful."
A fundraiser has been set up to help cover the transportation costs that family members incurred.
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