Loved ones and friends of a 60-year-old motorcyclist killed by a runaway tire on the 405 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley are speaking out about a man they describe as someone who could be everyone’s best friend.

“He was an incredible human being,” his girlfriend, Alex Morandini, told KTLA.

The Aug. 26 crash, captured on a Tesla dashcam, occurred around 11:20 a.m. in the southbound lanes of the 405 Freeway, just north of the 101 Freeway interchange.

Graphic footage of the accident shows the runaway tire bouncing over the center divider and out of frame just seconds before Gary Minor, who was riding his motorcycle in the carpool lane, falls from his motorcycle and into traffic, where he is run over by a driver in a white Toyota SUV.

It remains unclear whether Minor or his motorcycle was struck by the tire, or whether he crashed while trying to avoid the dangerous freeway projectile.

He was declared dead at the scene.

A Tesla’s cameras captured what appeared to be a stray vehicle tire that bounced from the northbound 405 Freeway to southbound side, striking a motorcyclist and causing a fatal accident on Aug. 26, 2026.

The graphic video of the crash has been difficult for those closest to Minor to watch.

“The footage was incredibly graphic, and we can’t let people forget there was a real person inside that helmet,” Morandini said.

Minor worked for Antiques on Magnolia, an estate sale company, where he worked alongside Cheryl Coughlan for nearly eight years.

It was Coughlan who had to break the news of Minor’s death to his girlfriend.

“I’m so sorry, so sorry. Gary was killed today in a motorcycle accident,” Coughlan recalled telling her. “There’s no good way to say that. I remember us both crying.”

Gary Minor, 60, was remembered friends and loved ones as someone who could be anyone’s best friend. He was killed in a crash involving a runaway tire on the 405 Freeway on Aug. 26, 2026. (viewer image)

Morandini and Coughlan met with KTLA at Minor’s favorite park, where they remembered a man who took riding seriously and made safety a priority whenever he got on his motorcycle.

“This was a freak accident,” Coughlan said. “Gary loved his motorcycles. Gary loved to ride. He rode every chance he got, but he always came home. He always came back. This time he didn’t come back.”

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Investigators have recovered the runaway tire that triggered the deadly chain of events but are still searching for the person who was transporting it. That person, if caught, could face vehicular manslaughter or negligent homicide charges, KTLA’s Sandra Mitchell reported.

For Minor’s loved ones, finding that person is only part of what they hope comes from sharing his story.

“He was the best, and we’re going to feel his loss,” Morandini said. “I hope that people won’t forget the real person in that footage.”

A GoFundMe has been organized to help support Minor’s three adult children as they face the loss of their father and the expenses of laying him to rest.