Wife, tattoo studio in Oak Grove mourn loss after motorcycle crash

Yahoo

08-06-2025

OAK GROVE, Mo. — A motorcyclist died earlier this week from injuries in a crash on U.S. 24 highway in Lafayette County.
The family of the motorcyclist who was killed confirmed that the victim is Chris Melchert, a tattooist from Bates City.
Eight-car crash reported on I-635, two hurt, Kansas Highway Patrol says
His wife, still grieving his loss, is using the crash to remind everyone to be safe around motorcycles.
On Saturday, FOX4 stopped by his shop, the Purgatory Tattoo Studio in Oak Grove, where the community is still remembering their friend and husband.
'Legendary, epic,' Meg Melchert said as she described her husband, Chris. 'I said earlier that he's everyone's best friend and he really was everyone's best friend to them in some way. The world will never have someone in it again like him. He was epic.'
The Missouri State Highway Patrol responded to a crash involving a Harley-Davidson motorcycle on June 2. According to the highway patrol's crash log, the motorcyclist was headed west on U.S. 24 when a Ford F-250 tried to cross the highway. The truck hit the Harley-Davidson, and the motorcyclist died from the injuries June 3.
Meg confirmed to FOX4 that Chris was the motorcyclist.
'How I am feeling is guttural,' she said. 'I mean, it is stressing me to my core and I never knew that a living person could feel this pain and not die themselves.'
Chris's station at Purgatory Tattoo is now filled with flowers and cards, teddy bears and notes from friends and family. The shop became a community, rather than just a place for tattoos and piercings.
'It's a culture here,' Meg said. 'And when I say we always joke and we call it a 'framily' — friends that have turned into family — and it's true.'
She noted that Purgatory Tattoo had different hours than most tattoo shops so the artists could spend time with their children and family. Being open early in the morning, as early as 6:30 a.m., helped Chris create that 'framily.'
'This was a place for people to come and converse and people just come hang out,' Meg said. 'Sometimes nothing was said. They were just here. Your laborers to your factory workers, your police, your firemen, doctors, our tow truck drivers. You know, our 5 a.m. was their 5 p.m. So, we captured all those morning people.'
Meg said her husband's death should serve as a reminder for everyone to look twice for motorcyclists.
'My husband was doing everything right,' she said. 'He was wearing bright colors. He had a helmet on. He had boots on, he had jeans on, he had a headlight on. He was going the speed limit and someone just blew through a stop sign for whatever reason.'
She said that extra caution around motorcycles could be the difference in someone's life.
'Fifteen seconds of that guy waiting would've changed my husband's life. Fifteen seconds of a stop. Motorcycles can't stop as fast as cars can, and they don't have airbags. And give space for riders. And if you think you can beat them across the road, just don't, just wait. Just wait. Give them a minute,' Meg said.
Meg and her family are inviting everyone who has a tattoo by Chris to join them at his celebration of life on June 29 at the Fieldhouse in Oak Grove. They plan on taking pictures of all of Chris's work for an album that will stay at the shop.
'Forty one years as a tattooist in this area is a long time,' she said. 'He's tattooed so many people in this community. I don't care if your tattoo is 41 years old, I don't care if it's a full back piece. I don't care if it's a ladybug on your thumb. Come and let's take a picture, because the bigger that book is, the bigger the memory.'
Those wishing to participate in his celebration of life can also leave a note with pictures online here.
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