SHELBY COUNTY, TN. (THECOUNT) — Vincent Beard, of Memphis, Tennessee, has been identified as the victim in a Sunday fatal motorcycle crash in Shelby County. He was 55.
Beard’s regular passenger, his beloved dog “Snoopy,” survived the crash with only minor road rash.
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According to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Beard was operating a Harley Davidson motorcycle with Snoopy as his passenger, when the bike came into contact with a vehicle on Sunday.
Beard was pronounced dead of blunt force trauma injuries at the scene.
Carol Neeley said when she found out what had happened to Beard, she began searching for his dog. She later located Snoopy hiding in a neighbor’s yard not far from the crash site.
“I was afraid he was hurt,” said Neeley. “As soon as I called him, he came.
“He had some road rash on his back left leg, but I took him to the vet yesterday, and he got through a check-up, and everything is fine, amazingly.”
Neeley said Beard started out as her contractor but became a close friend. She said she and her husband helped Beard get through lung cancer, and now they plan to take care of Snoopy, reports WSPA.
“He’s very smart. Vince taught him a lot of tricks,” said Neeley. “He got him to ride a motorcycle. How many dogs will do that?”
Neeley said Vince had been riding with his 20-pound dog for about three years. She said not everyone approved of it, but Beard liked the attention, and it turned lots of heads.
“All these people would stop and take pictures of Snoopy riding the bike,” Neeley said.
Neeley said every time Snoopy sees a motorcycle rider, he thinks it’s Beard.
“Vince was madly in love with Snoopy, and Snoopy is obviously madly in love with him and looking for him.”
The sheriff’s department said the cause of the crash that took Beard’s life is still under investigation.
DEVELOPING::
geo quick facts: Shelby County is located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2010 census the population was 195,085. The county seat is Columbiana. The county is named in honor of Isaac Shelby, Governor of Kentucky from 1792 to 1796 and again from 1812 to 1816 – Wikipedia.