Friends of a Salley man are honoring their friend and fellow motorcycle rider with online toasts after he died Thursday following a single-vehicle accident in Aiken County.
The incident occurred Thursday afternoon around 4:16 p.m. on South Dixie Road near Jordan Creek Road. Coroner Daryl Ables said 63-year-old Robert Stempel was driving a 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche northbound when the vehicle left the left side of the roadway, struck a fence, and overturned. He later died at Prisma Health Columbia.
A long list of friends have memorialized Stempel online with tributes and toasts. Paul Salos posted a Facebook photo on Friday toasting Stempel with a message for others to “raise them up for a fallen brother.” And others obliged, posting their images, with one posting a bong and explaining that he had quit drinking but wanted to honor a “great man.”
The online-toast trend allows individuals to raise a glass and share memories virtually, bridging geographical distances and creating a sense of community for those mourning a loss.
As news of Stempel’s passing spread, other friends and fellow riders shared heartfelt tributes on social media, remembering him as a man who left a deep and lasting impact on those around him.
“As you pass thru this thing we call life, we will always have people come and go, but very few leave an impression quite like this man, Robert ‘Impact’ Stempel, did on mine,” Salos said in a second post. “He imparted more wisdom and knowledge to me than anyone in my life. He not only taught me, but also showed me what it means to be a BROTHER, a true BROTHER. I will miss him every day… Til Valhalla, RRMC 1818 Forever.”
Another friend, David Coughtry, called Stempel “one of the kindest, most generous souls I’ve ever known,” adding, “Sometimes the news is harder to take than others. This was one of the worst. I was proud to call you ‘BROTHER’. Until Valhalla.”
Stempel was a well-known member of the Rough Riders Motorcycle Club, where he was affectionately known as “Impact.” Friends say he was more than just a rider – he was a mentor, a loyal companion, and a source of strength for many in the community.
The crash remains under investigation by the Coroner’s Office and the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
