‘He was amazing’: Rock Hill teen motorcyclist dies in crash with SUV on way to work
Family and friends are grieving after an 18-year-old Rock Hill motorcyclist who worked two jobs died in a crash Tuesday morning.
Brayden F. Birmele died at the scene on Dave Lyle Boulevard near Mount Gallant Road.
A GMC Yukon failed to yield while turning left and collided with Birmele’s Harley-Davidson, the Rock Hill Police Department said in a statement.
Birmele, heading west at the time and wearing a helmet, had a green light at the time of the collision, police said.
The driver of the Yukon, who has not been identified by police, was issued a citation for failure to yield right of way while making a left turn, the statement said.
No other information has been released by officials. Police said the investigation is ongoing.
“Loyal,” “Super bright” family friend says
Birmele graduated from high school in 2025 and was heading to work doing construction around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday when the crash happened, according to family. He also was known around Rock Hill from his two years working at Texas Roadhouse, where he bussed tables and ran food from the kitchen to customers.
His cousin, Riley Price, is a manager at Texas Roadhouse. She said of her cousin: “He was amazing.”
The restaurant has a program to help employees and families during times like this, Riley Price said.
Katie Price, his aunt and Riley Price’s mother, said Birmele was a “pure light.”
“He knew how to make everyone laugh,” Katie Price said.
Lindsey Yandell, whose sons have grown up with Birmele and are close friends, said Brayden was “super funny, super bright.”
Yandell started a GoFundMe after the crash to help Birmele’s family with expenses for the funeral. On the site, he was described as “a loyal friend, always there for those who needed him, and he brought joy to everyone around him.”
The fund had raised more than $15,000 by Wednesday afternoon.
Visitation for Brayden Birmele is Sunday from 2 to 5 at Bass-Cauthen Funeral Home in Rock Hill, family said. A memorial service is Monday at 1 p.m. at the funeral home.
