MOSES LAKE, Wash. — The Grant County Sherriff office announced Saturday morning the cause of death for the 28 year-old stunt man who died at Moses Lake Airshow earlier this week. The Coroner ruled Alex Harvill’s death was caused by blunt force trauma to the torso. The manner of death is accidental.
The motorsport community held a moment of silence Friday afternoon at the opening day of the Moses Lake Airshow. Harvill was supposed to be one of the show's main performers, but he crashed and died in a test run on Thursday afternoon.
Most fans of motorsports in central or eastern Washington, knew stuntman Harvill. Always pushing the boundaries, the husband and father-of-two attempted to break a Guinness World Record for longest distance jumped from a ramp on a motorcycle.
In a traumatic turn of events, Harvill came up too short for his 351-foot jump. KREM 2 will not be showing the jump due to its graphic nature and respect to his loved ones. He died after being airlifted to a nearby hospital, according to the Grant County Sheriff's Office.
Previous KREM 2 Coverage: Motorcycle stuntman dies in crash at Moses Lake Airshow during world-record attempt
Despite his sudden death, the airshow pressed on.
"While we are heartbroken, we realize that the best way to honor that mindset is to continue forward with the show," Grant County International Airport Director Rich Mueller exclusively told KREM 2's Morgan Trau.
This is what Harvill would have wanted, according to Mueller. The daredevil loved doing stunts, but event-goers say they couldn't help but notice how "strange" the ramp was. Some said the track seemed backwards, since the landing was much higher than the take-off point. Others questioned the physics of the ramp itself. The local celebrity's death raised many concerns about safety.
From the KREM 2 video, it took two and a half minutes for an EMT to reach Harvill after his crash.
Airshow organizer Terry Quick said since the crash happened on the airports property, Mueller is the one to address these concerns. When KREM 2's Morgan Trau questioned why there were no safety precautions at the top of the ramp, Mueller deflected.
"That's an odd question to ask, because there were multiple levels of safety out here," he answered. "We took absolutely every precaution and Alex personally did too."
Harvill and his team were in charge of the majority of the set-up, according to Mueller.
Trau referenced that when there is a stunt so dangerous, sometimes cushions or boxes are used to break the driver's falls. She asked if he would consider adding that in the future, but Mueller said he can't answer that since he isn't a "motorcycle jumping expert."
"We had a chance to work with Alex getting ready for this and he did not beat about the bush about what he was doing," he added. "It's very serious. He speaks our safety language that we do at aviation, and he understood the risks."
Mueller's team is dedicated to helping the community heal, he said. Some event goers are asking for a way to memorialize Harvill, which he said is a possibility.
"We're going to let his community take the lead on that, but we would be very happy to participate," he said. "While it is very tragic, and everybody is hurting, everybody gelled. You can tell by looking at some of the fundraising that's been going on already. People are absolutely committed to supporting the family as best they can."
His family said loved ones set up both a GoFundMe page and donation account with their bank.
"While this was obviously a very tragic event that unfolded, Alex was doing what he loved to do," his stepmother exclusively told KREM 2's Morgan Trau. "And we thank everyone for their outpouring of support."
The airshow will continue for the rest of the weekend. All medical teams are there and ready, including a helicopter that can airlift in case of emergency, according to Mueller.
The Grant County Coroner will conduct an autopsy Friday to confirm the cause and manner of death.