'It's the brotherhood:' Son of H-D rider who died in surgery after crash joins his group for 115th

Son of H-D rider who died in surgery after crash joins his group in Milwaukee for 115th

Son of H-D rider who died in surgery after crash joins his group in Milwaukee for 115th

ROCK COUNTY -- A 68-year-old Harley-Davidson operator from California died when he crashed on I-43 in Rock County Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 28. He has been identified as Leonard White.

It happened shortly before 3 p.m. on I-43 northbound at Mile Marker 2 near Beloit.

Officials with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation said the operator traveled across the median divide, lost control of his motorcycle, traveled into the southbound lanes and crashed into a concrete barrier near the right shoulder area.

He suffered significant injuries, and died in surgery.

The man was from Vallejo, California -- part of the "Iron Souls" group, consisting of mostly retired bikers from the Bay Area, based in Oakland.

Leonard White

Roy Rountree

"The purpose of the club is to give back to the community, and we ride Harley-Davidsons," said Roy Rountree.

For this group, it was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime, but they experienced tragedy.

"Things turned right before we got to our destination -- about 60 miles from our destination," said David Ferguson.

They said Leonard White was bringing up the rear during their 2,500-mile journey. The retired Oakland police sergeant suffered a heart attack near Beloit.

Leonard White

David Ferguson

"He was riding in the back when the attack happened, and you know, he lost control and hurt himself, and hurt himself very badly," said Rountree.

After that, the group was faced with a tough decision.

"The thing that kept us here is, we said 'what would Truck want us to do?' And we know he would have wanted us to be here," said Ferguson.

They lost a member of the group on the road, but gained another in Milwaukee. White's son flew in, to spend time with the group during the 115th anniversary celebration.

Neil White

"He was doing what he wanted to do around the people he loved," said Neil White.

He's now being comforted by friends who were by his dad's side until the end.

Leonard White

"It's the brotherhood. It's just seeing what he enjoyed, and seeing his brothers, and how he felt being around them, and what he spoke about, and taking the road trips -- and what he got out of it was that brotherhood," said White.

Leonard White spent 33 years serving on the Oakland Police Department. He was a sergeant on the department's motorcycle unit, and has been all over the United States on his bike.