Man\'s death compounds grief among close friendsBy Scott Pesznecker / Herald Writer\n\nEVERETT - Ride high, fly low.\n\nThose who knew Ted DiPietro, 21, of Mukilteo say that\'s how he lived his life.\n\nOn sunny days, he loved riding his motorcycle to work, where he was a diesel mechanic.\n\nHe talked tough and sometimes kept his feelings to himself, yet was an emotional anchor among friends.\n\nSome even called him a brother.\n\nOn Tuesday night, DiPietro was killed as he rode his motorcycle home from a friend\'s house in Marysville. He crashed into the back of a pickup on Highway 526 near Airport Road in Everett. He died at the scene.\n\n\"He was one ofthe baddest dudes I know, and one of the nicest guys,\" said Kevin Wittren, 18, of Mukilteo. \"Everyone I know had a lot of respect for him.\"\n\nThe last time many people saw DiPietro alive was at a memorial early in the week for Jay Clements, one of his close friends. Clements, 21, was gunned down outside a party in Brier early Sunday.\n\nDiPietro told people at the memorial to be strong, that everything would be OK.\n\n\"I might have seen him shed five or six tears, that was about it,\" Brandon Karr, 21, of Mukilteo said. \"We were all crying like babies.\"\n\nFamily and friends gathered for candlelightvigils Wednesday and Thursday nights outside Sno-Isle Tech Skills Center, where DiPietro had pursued his dream of becoming a mechanic.\n\nJust as they did for Clements, the mourners filled a notebook with memories of DiPietro to give to his family. Along a fence, people left flowers and photos of DiPietro, illuminated by the glow of several small candles.\n\n\"Most of us were just in complete shock,\" said Karr, who, like many in the crowd, knew DiPietro and Clements. \"Two in one week, it\'s more than some people can take. Everybody is still just coming together, being there for one another.\"\n\nDiPietro is survived by his father, Ted DiPietro Sr. of Mukilteo; his brother, Vince DiPietro of Everett; and his mother, Cheryle McCool of California.\n\nHe also leaves behind a group of tight-knit friends who\'ve known each other since childhood.\n\nSeveral of them got tattoos Friday night of Cadillac emblems with DiPietro\'s name. He owned a Cadillac, and, like his motorcycle, considered it his baby.\n\n\"He got to do everything he ever wanted,\" said Derrek Wynn, 19, of Mukilteo. \"He had his bike, he had his Cadillac, he had his family.\"\n\nHe loved hanging out, shooting pool, riding motorcycles and listening to music.\n\nDiPietro graduated from Kamiak High School in 2003 and took classes at Sno-Isle during his junior and senior years.\n\nHe had a wild side, friends and family say.\n\nHe also had a big heart.\n\n\"He was faultless,\" McCool said. \"He was a sweet boy.\"\n\nWittren looked up to DiPietro as an olderbrother. DiPietro taught him how to ride a motorcycle - something he will never do again, he said.\n\nHis sister, Stefanie Wittren, 22, also considered DiPietro as a brother. DiPietro always looked out for her, she said.\n\n\"I got to watch him grow up,\" she said. \"I got to see him turn into a great man.\"\n\nRyan Schlecht, 20, was close friends with DiPietro and his brother until high school, when they drifted apart. He came to Thursday\'s candlelight vigil to pay his respects.\n\n\"He was hard, but he cared a lot about people,\" Schlecht said at Thursday\'s candlelight vigil. \"He was passionate about whathe did, just like his brother, Vince.\"\n\nShawn Kunkel, 21, will never forget how DiPietro handled himself at Clements\' memorial. He was one of the strongest people there, Kunkel said.\n\nFour words - \"ride high, fly low\" - raced through Kunkel\'s mind when he arrived at Wednesday\'s candlelight vigil, he said.\n\nKunkel and a friend had the message printed on stickers, along with Ted\'s name. They passed the stickers out for people to place on their motorcycles.\n\n\"He\'d want everyone to get on with their lives and be happy,\" Kunkel said. 5th, DiPietro, good, in, kaia, kamiak, morning, mukilteo, peace, rejoice, remember, rest, september, Ted