The Saskatchewan sport bike community is mourning the loss of a well-liked rider.

Doug Machan passed away sometime late this past weekend from injuries suffered in a crash on April 3.

At 4:35 p.m. that Tuesday, Machan was riding his motorcycle on Lewvan drive when a car turning left on 7th Avenue collided with him.

The 29-year-old man driving the car has been charged with failing to yield while turning left.

Doug Machan was a former councillor for the Saskatchewan Sport Bikes Association.

It's president, Cody Jordison, is devastated by the loss.

"Doug's one of those guys that the second you met him, you felt like you were best friends with him," Jordison said.

He called Machan a driving force behind the association's charity calendars for breast cancer screening in Regina.  Recently, Machan became more involved with the Prairie Sport Riders, which Jordison said holds mini-bike racing at a track in Lumsden.

Jordison called Machan an example of a great driver.

"He spent a lot of time on the track developing his skills, was a very skillful rider, and definitely was wearing appropriate gear."

Jordison doesn't know much about Machan's eight weeks in hospital after the collision.  Apparently Machan was transported to hospital in Saskatoon for some surgeries, and was induced into a coma sometime after the crash.

He is adamant that the collision could have been avoided, and hopes that all drivers learn from this loss.

"For people that ride, I just encourage them to keep riding and be safe and get educated.  To other drivers out there, to really take your time and look....bikes have a smaller profile, and we're out there," Jordison said, "things like this happen more often then you think."