Human Interest Man, 21, Dies in Motorcycle Crash on Same Day He Was Set to Become a Godfather: 'I Wish This on Nobody' Joseph “Cole” Southern died after a vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic on Monday night By Jason Hahn Jason Hahn Jason Hahn is a former Human Interest and Sports Reporter for PEOPLE. He started at PEOPLE's Los Angeles Bureau as a writer and reporter in 2017 and interviewed the likes of Kobe Bryant, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom Brady. He has a B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University. He previously worked for Complex Magazine in New York City. People Editorial Guidelines Published on September 16, 2022 08:04PM EDT Photo: Facebook Friends and family are paying tribute to a North Carolina man who died in a motorcycle accident this week. According to FOX affiliate WGHP, 21-year-old Joseph "Cole" Southern died Monday night after he was involved in a crash while riding his motorcycle. According to the outlet, officials say a vehicle crossed into the center lane of the road and hit Southern and another motorcyclist, who was taken to a local hospital. "I wish this on nobody, and I thought about it, and I kept crying, but the only way that I can tell you. The joy and the love that you feel when you have a child born, you reverse it in pain," said Joe Southern, Cole's father, told WGHP. "It's that much pain, it's unbelievable," he added. "Pain that I wish on no one." The North Carolina Highway Patrol told NBC affiliate WXII that charges are pending against the driver of the vehicle who crashed into the motorcyclists. NCHP did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Friday. The Charlotte Observer reported that the driver was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Las Vegas Man Killed in Plane Crash While Reportedly Scattering Father's Ashes in Minnesota While speaking to WGHP, Cole's best friend, Jalon Moorefield, said he had made Cole the godfather of his daughter, a child who was born just 12 hours after the accident. "We had already agreed previously that he was going to be her godfather," Moorefield told WGHP, "and he said 'No matter the time no matter the day no matter the place, I'll be there.' That's just what keeps playing on repeat." 17-Year-Old High School Senior Dies in Florida Boating Crash: She 'Was a Joy to All Who Knew Her' "It's not really a feeling, I felt before, the feeling of losing somebody and gaining somebody at the same time," he said of Cole's death and his daughter's birth. According to the outlet, Cole was also expecting a child with his fiancée. RELATED VIDEO: Baggage Handler, 26, Dies After Hair Caught in Airport Machinery: 'Everybody Loved Her' In his obituary, loved ones called Cole "a very loving and giving person" who was "compassionate towards others his entire life, having a heart so big that he would give when he didn't have to give."