When Adam Parker loved something, he was all in.

Whether it was riding dirt bikes, fixing lawnmowers or fishing with his friends, he launched himself into the activity with endless enthusiasm. Even after losing his older brother Nathan in a motorcycle crash two years ago, he wouldn’t let fear stop him from embracing life.

Adam Parker died Tuesday, also in a motorcycle crash, on Cider Hill Road in York. He was 17.

“As much as we hate it, he went out doing what he loved,” his mother, Sarah Parker, said in a phone interview Friday as she prepared to make funeral arrangements for another son. “He probably wouldn’t have it any other way. He knew there were risks in everything he did. He didn’t stop living his life because of those risks.”

The crash was one of at least three fatalities involving a motorcycle in Maine in the past week, in addition to a few others that caused injuries. York County Sheriff Bill King said he’s concerned about those numbers and hopes to launch a campaign to encourage people to be more cautious. He said drivers need to share the road and motorcycle operators should also be cautious while they’re riding.

The Parker kids grew up around motorcycles and dirt bikes. Nathan was always safety-conscious and had all of his safety gear on when he died, his mother said.

And Adam, who earned the nickname “the wheelie king of Lebanon,” was always careful when it came to riding his father’s motorcycle and didn’t do tricks.

“He knew anytime you’re on a motorcycle, you are a moment from death,” his mother said.

Sarah Parker and her husband, Daniel, were grocery shopping Tuesday evening when they got an alert from a location-sharing app that indicated something might be wrong with Adam, who had been headed to the beach on his dad’s bike. They immediately left the store and started rushing toward York, but stopped in Berwick to call police. A dispatcher told them their son was conscious and they should go straight to Portsmouth Regional Hospital.

York police said they were alerted to the crash just after 8 p.m. by a 911 call. Rescue personnel began treating Adam at the scene and took him to the hospital, where he died a short time later.

“They worked as hard as they could to bring our boy back, but his injuries were just too significant,” said Sarah Parker, who spoke on behalf of her family.

Police are still investigating the crash and have told the family little about what might have happened. Sarah and Daniel Parker believe their son miscalculated a turn and took out a fire hydrant. The decision to let Adam take the motorcycle out that night has been especially hard for his dad, Sarah Parker said.

“He taught his boys to ride. He knows it’s not his fault, but there’s a piece of him as a father that wants to take responsibility,” she said.

THE FAMILY GO-GETTER

Adam Parker grew up in Lebanon, a rural town along the Maine-New Hampshire border small enough that most people know one another. He was the third of four children and was always strong-willed, his family said.

Long before losing Adam and Nathan, the close-knit family had dealt with other tragedies: a fire destroyed their home, a car crash injured both parents, an accident with a saw severely injured Daniel Parker. Through it all, they leaned on their faith, Sarah Parker said.

Adam endured his own struggles, his mother said. He could not hear when he was first born, which delayed his speech and required speech therapy as a young child. He was also severely dyslexic, his mother said. But he was a go-getter.

“He was very strong-willed. You could not tell him what it was you wanted unless you presented it in a way that he could decide,” Sarah Parker said.

Adam’s entrepreneurial side was on full display by the time he was in elementary school. On the school bus, he’d sell his Matchbox cars, Pokémon cards and snacks to other kids. He’d come home and proudly tell his parents, “I got a hundred bucks!”

Later, he won trophies in wrestling tournaments and earned a black belt in karate – accomplishments that made his parents especially proud.

Adam attended local public schools through seventh grade, then decided he wanted to be homeschooled because he didn’t like the typical school environment, his mother said. Learning at home was a better fit for Adam, who liked to dabble in many things. His interests led his research.

Always happy to fix anything, he started picking up old lawnmowers to repair and sell. He enjoyed working at Brian’s Trailer Repair in Berwick and was excited to meet his first niece, who is due in a few months.

“Whatever he put his heart to, that’s what he did and what he did well,” Sarah Parker said.

TRAGEDY STRIKES 

Nathan Parker, the family’s eldest son, was driving along a curved stretch of road that borders Milton Pond on June 15, 2022, when he collided with an oncoming car. The death of the 19-year-old sent a wave of shock and grief through his family and the community.

Nathan, who had played football at Noble High School, was the kind of teenager who brought stuffed animals to every resident at the nursing home where his girlfriend worked. He was close to his family – especially Adam, their younger brother, Caleb, and their older sister, Makaila.

“Nathan lived his life to let others know how caring you can be. He had the spirit of the Lord in him and that’s how he lived his life,” Sarah Parker said. “He wanted others to see that love.”

Sarah Parker said the family’s grief was compounded by the way the crash investigation was handled. Police said Nathan crossed the centerline and hit the oncoming car, but witnesses told the family that it was the car that was over the line. Some media reports suggested police were considering whether drugs or alcohol were involved but, according to the family, Nathan was not impaired in any way.

After Nathan’s death, all of his siblings struggled with the loss, but they were determined to continue to live their lives and give back to the community.

“Adam picked up the pieces of what Nathan had left, of trying to be a friend to others,” Sarah Parker said. “If one of his buddies was having a hard time, he’d be there in a heartbeat.”

‘LIVE NOW, NOT TOMORROW’ 

Adam’s love for motorcycles was not diminished by his brother’s death.

He’d get together with friends to ride dirt bikes, often showing off his ability to do wheelies. He once sent his mother a video of himself doing a milelong wheelie on his dirt bike, nearly giving her a heart attack, she said.

Adam never let fear hold him back.

Caleb Parker, 16, said his brother always said, “Live now, not tomorrow, because tomorrow is never promised.”

In the days since Adam’s death, the family has received an outpouring of support from the community. Friends and acquaintances have reached out with messages of support and memories of Adam. They’ve offered to raise money for the Parkers, drop off meals or do anything else they need. A GoFundMe page has been established to help the family defray costs.

Sarah Parker is asking everyone who knew Adam to send photos and videos of him to include in a slideshow she wants to make for a celebration of life on July 27 at Journey Church.

“We’re urging people to never let his name leave their lips. Talk about him,” she said. “I prefer that, so then they’re keeping his memory alive.”

She said she finds comfort in talking about her sons. The losses have been hard on her family, but they’ve always banded together and stood on their faith to get through it.

“I’m OK because I know and have the hope that we will see both of our sons again,” she said. “We will be reunited one day.”

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