A new mom is mourning the loss of her beloved partner, Dennis Lewis. Only days after the couple welcomed their first child together, Lewis died in a tragic motorcycle crash. He was on his way home to pick up his partner so that they could bring their baby home from the hospital. Sadly, he didn’t make it back. The mom of two will have to move forward as a single parent to young children without the man she loved. Now, his family is coming together to honor his legacy.
At approximately 2:35 p.m. on July 18, 2025, deputies from the Lake County, Illinois Sheriff’s Office reported to a traffic crash, the office noted in a Facebook post. When deputies arrived, they found a motorcyclist had been fatally injured.
Based on the preliminary investigation, a 35-year-old man, later identified as Dennis Lewis, was riding his motorcycle going west. He had a green light, according to witnesses. A semi-truck carrying a trailer made a left turn, colliding with Lewis. He was killed on the scene.
“The driver of the Peterbilt was uninjured and is cooperating with the investigation,” the statement concluded.
In a statement to People, the Lake County Coroner’s Office confirmed that Lewis died from “blunt force injuries of the head and neck.” An investigation into the crash is ongoing.
Lewis’ partner, Amberly Trocke, also spoke with People, offering more details about the crash. She explained that he had gone to visit their newborn daughter Harley at the hospital. She was coming home that day, but Trocke had already been discharged.
“He wanted her to know we were there and not be alone,” Trocke shared.
Trocke and her older daughter were waiting at home for Lewis so they could pick Harley up at 4 p.m. He told his partner that he was going to stop for lunch on his way home. But time passed, and Lewis still hadn’t come home. So when it was time to pick up the baby, a friend took Trocke and her daughter to the hospital.
As they drove, Trocke called hospitals along Lewis’ route to see if he was there. “He was not the kind of person you had to worry about,” she said. “So, I knew in my heart something was wrong.”
Lewis’ mom called Trocke on the car ride home. She said she had been alerted about a crash, but no details were given. So Trocke called the police, who told her that they would meet her at her home. That’s when she knew the unthinkable had happened.
“I was just screaming, crying, and I called my mom,” she said.
After Lewis’ death, she learned that he was planning to propose. “It just hurts that we didn’t get to finish that part of our life,” she said. “We were made for each other.”
Brianna Vance, a cousin of Dennis Lewis, created a GoFundMe to help Trocke as she adjusts to life as a single mom of two. The funds will go to basic baby needs as well as living expenses. Any additional money will go to baby Harley in the future.
“Dennis was a kind, hardworking, and loving man who had just stepped into fatherhood with so much hope and love in his heart. We want to honor him by ensuring his baby girl is surrounded by the support he would have given her every day,” they wrote.
