It’s with a heavy heart that I send this to you.

Tomas Lopez died today from injuries suffered in a crash on a streetbike in Bogota Colombia. Lopez was second in the 2006 CCS Florida Overall Amateur Championship, fighting with his brother Santiago for the title. He went that year to the Red Bull Rookies Cup tryout but didn’t make it. In 2007 he raced in Spain before returning to Colombia and racing motocross with support from the Colombian KTM distributor.

Tomy Gun #33 is going to be in my heart forever. I was his mentor and teacher when he started racing, and today the Colombian motorcycle community cries for him. He was 24 years old.

Santiago Villa #32

Bogota, Colombia

(Editorial note: Santiago Villa has won CCS Overall Expert Regional Championships six times, three times in the Florida Region and once each in the CCS Southeast and CCS Mid-Atlantic Regions. He is currently leading the 2014 CCS Southeast Region overall points and commutes from his home in Bogota to race in the United States. Villa is well-known for mentoring young, up-and-coming Colombian racers.)