The last person to see Wesley Hixson alive is speaking out. David Bennett posted on Facebook about his encounter with Hixson as the pair were mountain biking with a group of cyclists on the trails at Murrell Park in Flower Mound last weekend.
Hixson, 30, of Roanoke, left the other riders and went missing on Saturday afternoon. His body was found in a muddy ravine northeast of Twin Coves Marina on Monday afternoon. The investigation on his cause of death is ongoing.
Here is Bennett’s story:
“When Wes met up with us, he had mentioned that he had stayed out too late the night before and was a much better rider than what he was showing while on the trail. However, he still was riding fast and hard just as we all were. This was my first time riding with Wes and also my first time riding at Northshore. I didn’t know these trails so I let Wes lead. It wasn’t long before he and I got separated from the other 3 in our group. Once he and I realized that we stopped and waited a few minutes but the group never came so he and I continued riding. Not much further we came to a spot on the trail that had some rocks on the trail. It was on an uphill climb so we weren’t traveling very fast here. Wes’ front wheel was caught on a rock and he fell over to the left side of his bike. We were on a hill so when he fell over he fell down the downslope of the hill into thick bush maybe 3-4 feet off the trail. I of course asked if he was alright and jumped off my bike and jumped into the bush to help him get his bike back on the trail. He quickly jumped up and laughed it off like it was no big deal like most guys do when embarrassed. This was no violent crash as the media makes it out to be. He fell over while slowly moving. Once out of the bush we both climbed to the top of the hill and were picking the burrs out of our socks and legs from the bushes and I asked him to call one of the other riders to find out where they were. This is when he told me he didn’t have his phone so I began calling on mine. He began saying that he thought our group just passed us and I told him no one passed that they were still way behind us. He was adamant they had all passed and then stopped some hikers asking them what color shirts they had on as if the hikers may have seen out group. The hikers of course didn’t see anyone either. I still didn’t think anything of all of this.. Wes then told me that he was out of water and said ” I’m gonna go this way” and pointed in the direction of a house with a road near it. I assumed that since he was out of water and pointed that direction that he was taking the road back to his truck. He rode off and I took the trail back in the direction I figured out group was. This was the last time I saw Wes. I will forever have the image of him on the top of the hill telling me he was going that way in my mind. That moment has forever changed my life. This has all been extremely hard on me. I continue to ask myself what if and I should have.. I wish to God I could go back to that moment and do something different. I can’t go back and change the outcome of what has happened And I will always regret that. I would have NEVER left him had I thought he was injured or thought something was wrong. I am not that type of person. If blaming me and calling me a douchebag etc.. Gives you peace with all of this then I will be your scapegoat. Just know that I too am beating myself up over all of this.”
Services for Hixson will be held this Saturday, June 28, at 2 p.m. at Northwood Church, 1870 Rufe Snow Drive in Keller. There will be a gathering of remembrance after the service at the same location. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Association (DORBA). They plan to create a plaque in memory of Wesley and use funds to make trails safer for riders. Their Paypal account is: [email protected]
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