BRAZEN daredevil Alex Harvill has died in a horrific crash during a stunt on Thursday.
Harvill was attempting a world record 351-foot motorcycle jump when tragedy struck.
Who was Alex Harvill?
The 28-year-old thrill seeker rose to fame when he set a world record 425ft mtorcycle jump at Toes Motorcross Park in Royal City, Washington in May 2012.
The following year, he set a record for a dirt-to-dirt distance jump that's been beaten – by leaping over 297ft at Horn Rapids Motorsports Complex in Richland.
Harvill also gained prominence competings in a number of sports, including the Canadian MX National Series, AMA Motorcross, AMA Supercross and Arenacross while doing stunt work.
He came from Ephrata, Washington and had been riding a motorcycle since he was four year old, the Colombia Basin Herald writes.
He drew his inspiration from Evel Knievel, once writing: "It’s so awesome that I can follow in his footsteps and have some local ties to him and just live on the daredevil motorcycle legacy of pushing the limits."
Harvill leaves behind his wife Jessica and two kids Willis, 5, and newborn son Watson – who was born a month before the crash.
What was Alex Harvill's cause of death?
Harvill perished trying to complete his most dangerous stunt yet – a 351ft jump at Moses Lake Airshow in Washington.
Spectators gathered around to watch the accomplished daredevil practice runs ahead of the record-breaking jump.
However, on his first practice, which was being recorded, the 28-year-old came up short of his target and crashed into a dirt mound.
Witnesses say Harvill's helmet came flying off his head and his body flung off the front of the bike.
Harvill was rushed to hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
An autopsy is set to be performed on Friday to determine the daredevil's cause of death.
What Guinness World Record was Alex Harvill trying to break?
The stuntman had been trying to break Robbie Maddison's "ramp to dirt" motorcycle distance jump when he died.
In a post leading up to the jump, Harvill wrote: "I Will be attempting another world record jump at this years airshow here in Moses Lake Washington.
"This time it will be Guinness World Records official for the ‘Ramp to Dirt’ Motorcycle Distance Jump attempt.
"The current Guinness record… is held by Robbie Maddison who has courageously pushed the sport in many ways over the years."
Maddison has held the record since March 2008.
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