Leeroy Gardea took his green Kawasaki out on a bright Saturday afternoon, heading south along Grandview Avenue in Odessa. It was just after 2:20 p.m. on September 5, 2026, the kind of weekend hour when West Texas traffic is steady with folks running errands or meeting up with family. Gardea was 32 years old, riding a road he knew well, with no idea his trip was about to be cut short.
At the intersection of 61st Street and Grandview, a blue Ford F-250 pickup sat at the stop sign facing east. The driver aimed to make a left turn onto Grandview, right into the southbound lane. Police say the driver pulled out without yielding the right-of-way, placing the heavy pickup directly in front of the oncoming motorcycle.
Gardea had no time to avoid the truck. The Kawasaki struck the Ford in a hard collision that threw Gardea into the roadway. Passersby called 911, and Odessa police officers and paramedics rushed to the corner of 61st and Grandview within minutes.
Medics loaded Gardea into an ambulance and rushed him straight to Medical Center Hospital. ER staff took over immediate care, working to treat his severe injuries. Despite emergency medical efforts, Gardea died at the hospital shortly after arrival.
Police officers delivered the news to Gardea’s next of kin later that afternoon. For his family, the sudden phone call turned a normal Saturday upside down. One hour Gardea was out on his bike, and the next his relatives were sitting in shock, facing a reality nobody saw coming.
Those who knew Gardea in Ector County describe a young man settled into the rhythm of daily life in Odessa. At 32, he had years of plans, family gatherings, and everyday moments ahead of him. Now his family is left holding onto memories while trying to figure out how to move forward without him.
Odessa police officers continue to investigate the crash to decide on formal citations or charges for the truck driver. While the legal process moves forward, Gardea’s friends and family are leaning on each other to get through the hard weeks ahead.
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