Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the location of the accident.
Loved ones are mourning the sudden death of Orange County BMX star Pat Casey following a crash at a motocross competition on June 6.
The 29-year-old X Games medalist was known as a dedicated husband, a loving father of two and a talented athlete whose life was cut tragically short.
While riding at a private track in San Diego County, Pat missed a landing while performing a jump from a ramp, losing control of his bike before being ejected.
Bystanders called 911 but by the time paramedics arrived at the track, they found Pat pulseless and apneic, according to the medical examiner’s office. Despite life-saving measures, Pat was pronounced dead at the scene.
Donations have been pouring into a GoFundMe campaign created by a family friend to help with funeral expenses.
“I haven’t looked at it,” said Chase Casey, Pat’s wife, of the GoFundMe. “Thank you for donating if you have. I just can’t bring myself to because it makes it seem real and I don’t want it to be.”
Chase spoke to KTLA from her Riverside home where Pat built an enormous backyard BMX track to practice stunts. She said her husband had talent and a thirst for high-thrill adventures from a very young age.
“Actually right now, I have about 30 guys on my ramps yelling and cheering and doing exactly what they would be doing if Pat was here,” said Chase. “I find comfort in knowing that his legacy lives on. I will have his friends here and people who loved him around me. If I didn’t know anybody or had this outpouring of love, I think it could definitely be worse.”
Pat leaves behind his wife and their two children — 8-year-old son Reid and 7-year-old daughter Taytum.
“I’m so appreciative of the outpouring of love from all over the world,” said Chase. “It’s not just California. I feel it from every end of the world. I’m just very appreciative of all the support. I’d like the world to know that [Pat] was a man of God, that he loved his family, that he spoke his mind, that he was just everything. He was never sad.”
Donations to the Casey Family’s GoFundMe campaign can be found here.