A local man died as a result of a motorcycle crash in Corbin Monday afternoon, and friends are remembering him as a caring father who called Corbin his "second home."
According to Corbin Police, 55-year-old William Baker was riding a 1998 Harley-Davidson motorcycle north on Scuffletown Road, heading toward Fifth Street Road, at the time of the accident. He lost control of the motorcycle and struck a utility pole, snapping it, and also hit a tree.
Baker was intertwined, for a time, in various utility lines and could not be immediately assisted by emergency service personnel. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Whitley County Coroner Andy Croley.
Baker was a native of of Lake Forest, IL, a suburb of Chicago. He moved to Kentucky, friends say, because it was a halfway point between his hometown and remaining living family who reside in Florida.
Jimmy Woodward, a local construction worker who co-founded Tri-County Home Improvement with Baker, called the accident "tragic" and said it had a deep emotional impact on Baker’s friends.
"He was my best friend in the world," Woodward said. "He was a great guy. I don’t know what else to say about him. He was rough around the edges, but if you ever got to know Bill you knew he was a good person."
Woodward said Baker had a soft spot in his heart for children and the elderly, often giving monetarily to causes and charities that focused on problems associated with those groups.
"What folks don’t know about him was that he was a great philanthropist. He gave money all the time to things. There was no way he could watch one of those telethons on TV and not start crying and give some money to help. That’s just how he was," Woodward said.
Baker was the primary maintenance man for Hillside Apartments in Corbin. He was also a talented tattoo artist and specilized in body piercing for a side business he owned called Portable Pain.
In his main profession, construction and home repair, Baker was often known as being meticulous and detail oriented. He was also a single father and raised two daughters.
The accident in which Baker died happened around 4:05 pm. The incident remains under investigation. Corbin Police Officer Jim Miller is investigating the crash. Authorities say alcohol and speed are possible factors.
Woodward said Baker has no local family and added that his funeral would likely be conducted in Chicago. He said Baker’s friends locally are planning a memorial service to celebrate his life.
See Wednesday’s print edition of The News Journal for more details.
