Man charged in motorcycle death of son

PEORIA -- An East Peoria man was in handcuffs when he said goodbye to his dead 4-year-old son, the victim of a motorcycle accident in the parking lot of a Peoria lumberyard.

Police say 21-year-old Michael Wells was performing a wheelie on his motorcycle in the parking lot late Saturday afternoon when he struck his son, Ashton, who was riding a bicycle nearby.

Michael Wells was arrested later Saturday evening for aggravated reckless driving, operating a motorcycle on one wheel, and other charges.

Ashton's grandmother, Crystal Wells, said Saturday was the first time the boy was allowed to watch his father and his friends practice motorcycle stunts. She told police Ashton darted away from his mother and rode toward his father so quickly that Michael Wells didn't have time to react.