Bliss MP killed in motorcycle wreck remembered

A true Patriot … that’s how a Fort Bliss military policeman, who was killed by a wrong-way driver over the weekend, is being remembered.

ABC-7 spoke with close friends and colleagues of Robert Karr today to learn more about the soldier.

The 46-year-old survived two tours in the Middle East before dying suddenly early Sunday morning as he was riding his motorcycle on the freeway.

“We both put on our helmets, said goodbye to each other, gave a big hug to each other and minutes later is when he died,” said Lt. Rudy Castro, who worked with Karr on Post and spent weekends riding motorcycles with him all over the Southwest. “I kept texting him and texting him and texting him. In the morning, I turned on the news and saw there was a head-on tragic accident on I-10. I knew it was him.”

Police say Karr was killed instantly when he was run over by a wrong way driver, 30-year-old Nora Padilla, who also died in the wreck. El Paso Police are still trying to find out why Padilla was driving the wrong way.

“Had I gone the same way, it would have been both of us,” said Castro.

Castro called Karr, who joined the military because of 9-11 at the age of 35 and served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, an American hero.

“He was a true Patriot, he was a hero,” Castro said. “He did two tours down range to protect our freedom and it’s unfortunate he had to die here on U.S. Soil. It’s tragic.”

Lt. Carlos Enriquez also worked and rode motorcycles with Karr.

“He was a great guy,” Enriquez said. “What bothers me the most is he was doing the right thing, he was going home. He wanted to get some rest and unfortunately there was somebody on the road that didn’t know what they were doing at the time and they took an innocent man’s life.”

Karr, who was a ride captain for the Placas Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club, was given the road name “Raven.”

“Hopefully he’s up there in heaven,” Castro said, “with the rest of the birds.”

Karr had a 15-year-old son and a daughter in her 20’s. Funeral arrangements are pending. Both Castro and Enriquez wanted Karr’s family to know that he talked about them often at work and while hanging out with the Placas Motorcycle Club and he loved them very much.