OAKLEY, Utah — Family members of a Utah man who was hit and killed by a car while riding his motorcycle over the weekend are mourning the loss but remembering his life fondly.
Utah Highway Patrol identified the victim as 34-year-old Landon Embry, who lived in Orem.
“He’s still going to be loved and he’s always going to be in our hearts forever,” said his father, Lloyd Embry. “Landon was just such a wonderful person. He had a big heart.”
According to UHP, a Tesla rear-ended Landon while he was on his motorcycle on I-15 southbound in the Draper area early Sunday morning. The driver of the Tesla said the car was on auto-pilot, which UHP is still investigating.
“The standard has been, and the responsibility always remains, with that licensed driver who is in the vehicle and is still required to be in the vehicle and is still required to be paying attention to everything,” said UHP Lt. Jalaine Hawkes. “We would want people to recognize that they cannot trust that [automated] system to recognize and be as attentive as a human should be in that scenario.”
UHP is still investigating the crash and submitted a warrant for evidence from the Tesla.
“Nobody knows what’s going to happen. Just be on the lookout, be alert,” said Sandy Embry, Landon’s mother, at a gathering with friends and family Tuesday afternoon in Oakley. “Please, please, please, tell your loved ones you love them before they leave. You never know when it will be the last time.”
Family members said Landon always loved being around family, whether it was at the soccer field with his nieces or stopping by on his bike to visit his family.
“I could talk to him about anything. He was a great confidant, and he was never judging, and he’d always have the best advice, and I’m really going to miss the daily text messages and funny Snapchats he’d like to send my way,” said Lindsey Gomm, Landon’s sister. ”I’m going to greatly miss him.”
A celebration of life will be held for Landon on Friday night at the Cattlemen Hall in Oakley from 4 to 8 p.m. for friends and family.
