HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Joshua Ballard liked to wear the badge of the Infidels Motorcycle Club, a group of ex-combat veterans who rode together.

When Jason Crockett — another member of the group as close as family — heard about the Ballard’s death on Saturdayhe said the news left him numb.

“Good man, good soldier,” said Crockett. “Many tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. I literally saw him give the shirt off his back for a brother, someone he cared about.”

Ballard, a 41-year-old Texas native, was killed while traveling north on I-295 near mile marker 31 in a construction zone, according to Virginia State Police.

His family said he will never forget the call from the hospital.

“I just started saying, ‘I don’t want to hear it, no, no, no, please don’t tell me,'” Ballard’s sister said. “She said, ‘I hate to be the one to break it to you, but your brother Josh was in a motorcycle wreck and didn’t make it.’

The family said investigators told them Ballard’s bike hit an exposed three- to four-inch lip between the lanes where resurfacing work was taking place.

A 26-year-old female passenger was also thrown from the motorcycle and suffered serious injuries.

“He was in the military for 17 years and did four tours overseas and came back every time,” his sister said.

“I was worried the whole time he was in the military that something was going to happen to my son,” Ballard’s mother said. “I got him back and I was like, ‘Oh man, he made it, he made it, I still have my son, my baby,’ and then he goes home.”

Ballard’s family said they were told another motorcycle accident occurred at the same location just hours after his accident, in addition to a similar accident on Thursday.

Crockett said he does not believe Ballard was to blame.

“Because I talked to one of my other members who had been on the road the night before and after it happened, he told me there was no signage anywhere,” Crockett said. “He hit one of those lips. It was actually coming off the lip and he was able to service his motorcycle and maintain it, but he said it came out of nowhere.”

Virginia State Police told CBS 6 they are investigating the amount of signage that was present during construction.

Ballard leaves behind two children. His family believes his death could have been easily prevented.

Crockett said the Infidels will escort Ballard’s remains home in the coming weeks.

“He’s definitely gone way too soon,” Crockett said.

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