GOOCHLAND COUNTY, Va. — "He was my hero." That was how Dawn Anderson summed up her relationship with her brother Shawn Jones.
Jones, 49, of Mechanicsville, was killed in a Friday morning motorcycle crash in Goochland County. He was riding west on Interstate 64 near Shallow Well Road when the driver of a 2024 Kia Forte rear-ended Jones' Harley Davidson, according to Virginia State Police.
"[Jones] lost control and struck the guardrail," police said about the 12:40 a.m. crash. "The Kia then lost control, rolled onto its side, and struck the guardrail on the left shoulder."
Jones, who police said was wearing a helmet, died at the scene. The Kia driver survived. Police continue to investigate.
"What you saw is what you got with Shawn. You either loved him or you hated him," Dawn said with a laugh through her tears when asked about her brother.
She said riding his motorcycle and caring for his dogs were Shawn's favorite things to do.
It was his way of enjoying a life that was not always easy.
"He was a kid who turned his life completely around," she said. "When he got out [of prison] he became an electrician, bought a house, and fought to get his rights back."
Jones grew up in Goochland and later attended Hermitage High School in Henrico County before he eventually settled in Mechanicsville.
"[He was] an amazing son, brother, and uncle. He loved his family, all of it, because his friends were his family as much as we were," Anderson said. "He was hardworking and the life of the party."
As for funeral arrangements, Dawn said that wasn't Shawn's style.
"Nope," she said. "He always said, 'When I go, we're just going to have a party.'"
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