A daredevil motorcyclist who was trying to beat a Guinness World Record for a motorcycle jump died while practicing the stunt in Washington.
Alex Harvill was warming up on Thursday when he crashed upon landing. The incident happened at the Moses Lake Airshow at Grant County International Airport, NBC News reports. Video shows the 28-year-old attempting the jump and missing a ramp, leading him to land on the edge of a dirt berm and get tossed from his bike.
He was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. “Coroner Morrison’s staff will conduct an autopsy on Friday to confirm the cause and manner of death, which is normal procedure,” the Grant County Coroner’s Office said in a statement. “Our deepest sympathies go out to Alex’s family, friends and loved ones.”
Harvill leaves behind a wife and two sons, with the couple’s second son Watson Robert Harvill born just a month ago.
The motorcyclist was looking to beat Robbie Maddison’s 2008 Guinness World Record of the longest motorcycle ramp jump by flying over 351 feet, about the same length as a football field. In 2013, Harvill set a record for longest dirt-to-dirt motorcycle ramp jump with 297 feet.
Harvill was clearly excited about the event. Days before the incident, he posted photos and videos of the bike he was going to use, named Suzy, and the ramp he was going to jump from.
A GoFundMe has been set up for Harvill’s family.
