Daytona Bike Week started off in tragedy for members of the custom bike community when an accident claimed the life of Amber Brinton, wife of Diamond Heads inventor and owner, Keith Brinton.

During the evening of March 7, 2012, Keith and Amber Brinton of Las Vegas, Nevada, were struck from behind while riding their motorcycle. The accident, which occurred in Port Orange just south of Daytona Beach, is still under investigation by the Port Orange Police Department.

Reports claim that a 64 year-old South Daytona woman driving a Lincoln Expedition hit the motorcycle carrying the Brintons hard enough to throw the couple from the machine. Ms. Brinton was later pronounced dead at the Halifax Health Hospital; Mr. Brinton is said to have received a broken collar bone and head injuries. It wasn’t made clear if the couple were wearing helmets at the time of the accident.

Diamond Heads, also known as “The King of Bling” in the custom bike world, holds three patents for their custom finishing process that makes hundreds of cuts in the edges of an air-cooled cylinder head’s fins. This cutting process is claimed to have two benefits: First, it enhances the look of an engine by refracting any light striking it; and second, it increases the fin’s cooling ability by creating a greater surface area and generating turbulent air around the cylinder when the motorcycle is in motion.