Pain to purpose: Lubbock mom hosting ride to raise awareness for motorcyclists after son’s death

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - A Lubbock mom is continuing her work to protect motorcycle riders, after losing her son in a crash. Stephanie Johnson is hosting the Raising Awareness Motorcycle Ride later this month, to remind drivers to watch for motorcyclists on the road.

“If we can save one biker’s life, then it was all worth it for us,” Johnson said.

Because of that mission, she returns to the intersection at 19th and Frankford, no matter how difficult. That’s where her son, Nickolas Wood, was hit and killed on his motorcycle in 2023.

“Watching motorcycles come through this intersection, it’s hard,” she said. “But I also need people to realize that this is real. This is real life for some people, and if you’re not careful, you’re going to turn this into reality for somebody.”

Since Nick’s death, she’s turned her pain into her purpose. She advocates for motorcycle riders everywhere she goes, reminding drivers to look twice and save a life.

“I hope everybody remembers that somebody’s at home waiting for them. Somebody’s waiting to hear that bike pull in the driveway,” Johnson said.

On April 26, she is calling on all riders and drivers to join the second annual Raising Awareness Motorcycle Ride. It starts Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at TacMed at #5 Briercroft Office Park, where Nick used to work.

There will be food trucks, a live DJ and a raffle for two backpacks full of donated goodies from Lubbock businesses. Following a prayer, kickstands will be up at 1:30 p.m. for a ride around Loop 289, with a stop at 19th and Frankford to share Nick’s story.

“The biker community is very much a family community, and they stick together and they support each other and they do so much for everyone else. So, to come together and just try to, to raise awareness for them, it’s a big deal,” Johnson said.

To join the ride, all you need to bring is $10, or 10 new Hot Wheels. Johnson started A Racecar for Your Pocket, in Nick’s honor. So far, she’s collected 2,500, handing them out to kids at the hospital, somewhere Nick spent a lot of time growing up.

“We were able to go and actually give cars to patients at Cook [Children’s Medical] in Fort Worth, and the smile that it brought to their face, that’s what it’s all about,” she said.

While working to protect all motorcycle riders, Johnson is also keeping a promise to her son.

“That I would, I would keep his name and his story alive and that I would do everything I could to keep this from happening again,” she said.

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