21-year-old motorcyclist killed in Tacoma crash identified by medical examiner
A man who died when his motorcycle collided with a car in Tacoma on Sunday evening has been identified in by the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Andrew Bostwick, 21, of Tacoma, was killed near South 56th Street and South Cheyenne Street, according to a news release. He suffered multiple blunt-force injuries, and his death was ruled an accident.
The News Tribune reported that the collision was reported shortly after 6 p.m. and that the cause was unclear. Tacoma Police Department spokesperson Shelbie Boyd told The News Tribune on Friday that the police investigation is ongoing.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to support Bostwick’s family with funeral and memorial costs. The News Tribune reached out to the GoFundMe organizer, a friend of Bostwick’s family, but did not immediately hear back Friday evening.
“Andrew (Drew) was 21 years old and recently found a passion in the motorcycle world that he absolutely loved, so much that he enrolled in a motorcycle mechanics program in the fall,” the GoFundMe page said.
Bostwick graduated from Curtis High School in University Place and “was a four-year varsity letterman in golf,” his obituary said. “His passion for the game was matched by his dedication to inclusion — he was a committed partner in the Special Olympics Unified Sports program, where he earned a gold medal and numerous school awards for his contributions and compassion.
“Andrew’s warmth and generosity extended beyond the golf course. He had a gift for making others feel seen and valued, and his presence was a source of strength and joy to his family and friends.”
Rose McGraw, Bostwick’s mother, shared more about him in a phone call with The News Tribune on Monday.
“I tell people he could have raised himself because he never got in trouble growing up,” McGraw said, describing him as kind, helpful, generous and respectful. “He never gave me any grief.”
The day of the crash, Bostwick and some of his friends were returning home after spending time at a river, she said. While he was trying to adjust something on his motorcycle, something went wrong and he was thrust into oncoming traffic. He wasn’t speeding or doing a trick on his bike, she said.
McGraw explained via phone and in a direct message that Bostwick started riding four-wheelers at a young age. His grandparents owned a lot of land in Eatonville, and Bostwick started riding dirt bikes at age 9 or 10 when his grandfather built him a big dirt bike track on the backside of their property.
“Andrew decided to take a motorcycle safety course after consistently being told we didn’t want him to ride,” she wrote in her message. “He pushed a little at a time until he finally saved up and purchased his first motorcycle.”
She was “terrified” when he did, she continued, but she supported him because she could see how happy he was and the friends he had made through riding.
“It was probably the happiest I’ve seen him in a long time,” said McGraw.
When one of Bostwick’s good friends died riding a motorcycle, he was saddened for weeks, she wrote. She asked him at that time if he was reconsidering riding.
“ ... he just told me, ‘Mom, we all know the risks to do the thing that we love,’” she said. “He goes, ‘I’m a safe rider, and I never do anything to put myself in harm’s way, on purpose at least.’ So that’s just the person he was. He loved it and he knew the risks, and he just thought he would be OK, just being safe, doing the right thing.”
After the crash that took his life, McGraw said, she was flooded with messages from Bostwick’s friends and others saying Bostwick “was one of the safest riders that they had ever ridden with.”
“They said, Andrew just wanted to get home safe so he could live to ride another day,” she wrote.
A Celebration of Life for Bostwick will be held at Aspen Chapel at Mountain View Memorial Park on Wednesday, July 16, at 10 a.m. The address is 4100 Steilacoom Blvd. SW. in Lakewood. Attendees can come wearing what they’re comfortable in because that’s what Bostwick, who was “very simple” and didn’t like dressing up, would have wanted, McGraw said.
Meadow Park Golf Course in Tacoma will also install a plaque as a memorial for Bostwick, who played at the golf course and worked there. He used to park his motorcycle by the golf shop, and the plaque will recognize that spot as reserved for Bostwick, director of golf operations Erik Haag told The News Tribune.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include additional comments from Bostwick’s family and the time and location for his Celebration of Life, and details about a memorial plaque for him at Meadow Park Golf Course.
This story was originally published July 12, 2025 at 9:00 AM.
