SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Jeremy Akers came to Texas looking for a fresh start.
After serving time in prison, the 39-year-old found faith, began rebuilding relationships with his family and was making plans for a future he hoped would include his four children.
He was also planning to open a landscaping business with his father, Richard Freeman.
That future ended Sept. 7 when Akers was killed while riding his motorcycle through San Antonio’s notoriously sharp Finesilver Curve.
According to San Antonio police, Akers was traveling southbound on Interstate 35 at a high rate of speed when he failed to negotiate the curve leading to westbound Interstate 10. His motorcycle struck a retaining wall, throwing Akers over the wall and onto the ground below.
He died at the scene.
Freeman doesn’t dispute that speed may have played a role. But he believes the investigation shouldn’t end there.
He wants officials to take another look at the roadway itself and ask whether additional safety measures could prevent another motorcyclist from suffering the same fate.
“Why are you steady, you know, putting it out onto the public — speed, speed, speed?” Freeman said. “I’ve never heard you once take the responsibility and say our road conditions.”
Four motorcycle deaths in seven days
Akers was one of four motorcyclists killed in crashes across the greater San Antonio area during a seven-day period.
A 17-year-old rider died Sept. 3 after colliding with two pickup trucks on State Highway 46 near Smithson Valley High School.
Three days later, 19-year-old Nathaniel Perez struck a highway wall near the U.S. 281 and I-35 interchange and was ejected into a parking lot below.
Akers died Sept. 7.
On Sept. 9, a 22-year-old motorcyclist died after being ejected from his motorcycle on I-35 in New Braunfels and struck by several vehicles.
For Freeman, those deaths raise questions that go beyond individual riders.
“I’m not looking at just Jeremy,” Freeman said. “I’m looking at the other 19-year-old, you know, the other 17-year-old.”
Freeman said he doesn’t know why his son traveled to San Antonio that night.
“I don’t even know why he came up here,” Freeman said. “He wasn’t on the path to our house, so I’m still puzzled.”
A son who was rebuilding his life
Akers moved to Austin approximately nine or 10 months before his death and was living at Texas Reach Out Ministries, a Christian nonprofit that helps formerly incarcerated people rebuild their lives.
Freeman said his son left home when he was 15, eventually moved to Missouri and later served time in prison.
But Freeman said his son’s past wasn’t the story of the man he was becoming.
“I’ve witnessed and watched him turn his life over to God,” Freeman said. “It’s the best I’ve ever seen him do.”
Akers was working to repair relationships with his two sisters and two stepbrothers. But perhaps his biggest motivation was his four children, who remained in Kansas.
His goal was to eventually bring them to Austin.
“That’s what kept him going and one of the reasons why he turned his life over,” Freeman said.
“His kids was his life,” Freeman said. “Everything he did, he wanted to do for them.”
Freeman said his son was so devoted to his children that he called him “Mr. Mom.”
“He didn’t go nowhere,” Freeman said. “He didn’t do nothing unless the kids were with him.”
Credit: Richard Freeman
Jeremy Akers pictured with three of his four children.
Father and son had plans
Freeman and Akers spoke by phone every morning around 5:30 a.m. They would drink coffee, prepare for work and talk about their plans for the day.
Those plans included starting a landscaping business together.
Freeman said Akers was ambitious and wanted to do everything right, even when it came to the smallest details.
“He would sit there and watch videos just on weed eating because he wanted to be a great weed eater,” Freeman said.
Motorcycles were another part of the future they envisioned together.
Freeman had ridden motorcycles for most of his life, and Akers had always wanted to ride with his father.
A motorcycle Freeman left with his son became the first bike Akers regularly rode. About a year ago, Akers began riding more frequently and started talking about taking motorcycle trips with his dad.
They talked about riding to Kerrville and visiting the giant cross overlooking Interstate 10.
For Freeman, those weren’t just casual conversations. They were plans for a future that would include motorcycle rides, early-morning coffee and a business built together.
Credit: Richard Freeman
Jeremy and Richard pictured at the Oklahoma state line in June 2026.
Freeman wants Finesilver Curve examined again
Public reports show at least four crashes at the Finesilver Curve during the past year, including three involving overturned 18-wheelers.
The elevated connector ramp has a history of crashes, particularly involving commercial vehicles attempting to navigate its tightening turn.
The Texas Department of Transportation says it has already implemented several safety improvements in the area, including enhanced signage, pavement markings and other measures designed to improve driver awareness.
TxDOT also said it recently completed a bridge rail replacement project and encouraged motorists to slow down, remain alert, obey posted speed limits and follow roadway signs.
Freeman believes the roadway deserves another examination.
He wants officials to determine whether additional changes could make the curve safer — particularly for motorcyclists, who face significantly different risks when they leave the roadway or strike a barrier.
For Freeman, the issue is now about much more than speed.
It’s about whether another family will have to experience what his family is going through.
And it’s about the son he watched fight to rebuild his life.
“I was proud of my son,” Freeman said.
Help for Jeremy’s children
Freeman has created a GoFundMe campaign to help cover Akers’ funeral expenses and bring his four children from Kansas to Texas.
The family is asking for help as they deal with the loss of a father who, according to Freeman, was working toward building a better life for his children.
This story was compiled from information provided by the family and reporting by KENS 5.