The man who plunged to his death off the Williamsburg Bridge – a father to 11 kids – was traveling “at a high rate of speed” on his motorcycle when he slammed into the back of a cab, launching him over the guardrail and into the East River, police said.
Friends riding with him disputed the account, saying traffic was bumper-tobumper on the bridge Thursday night so Leonard Beckett, 38, could not have been going too fast.
They also said he was an extremely experienced and cautious rider.
“This accident wasn’t due to any negligence on Mr.
Beckett’s part,” said Beloved, a friend and fellow member of the motorcycle club, the Southside Renegades.
“He’s been riding a bike since [he was] 15.” Friends and family gathered at the Beckett home in St. Albans, Queens, yesterday to mourn with his wife of 18 years, Veronica, his five daughters and their six foster children.
“They’re not feeling too good. That was their father.
We’ll deal with it as a family,” said Veronica, fighting back tears. “He liked to entertain people. He liked to make people happy. It’s a shock to everybody. It’s not real to us.” Robert Miller, a childhood friend who was riding with Beckett that night, said they and others were on their way to the West Village.
Beckett was driving a Kawasaki ZX12 and was at the rear of the pack.
“We were coming from Queens going to Manhattan.
There was a lot of traffic,” he said. “I got off the bridge and I was waiting for him and a car pulled up and told us that there was an accident.” “I knew it was Lenny,” he continued. “It was dark. All I saw was his bike on the side of the bridge. They said he went into the water.
I said ‘It can’t be true.’ I thought it was a joke.” Cops said Beckett’s bike went vertical when he smashed into the back of a livery cab, catapulting him over the side of the bridge and into the East River.
Harbor patrols pulled his body out of the water about 45 minutes later.