Luis Hernandez

lfhernan@visaliatimesdelta.com

A Tulare motocross rider suffered fatal injuries in an apparent accident at the Tulare Cycle Park on Sunday morning.

Justin Barnett, 38, died from injuries he suffered while riding at the motocross park, located in southwest Tulare.

"It was a crash," said Dieter Temmerman, who co-owns the track. "He lost control [of the bike] on a curve. He overshot the berm."

Temmerman described Barnett as an experienced rider who had been going to the cycle park for 15 years.

In a social media posting on the park's Facebook page, it was reported Barnett "was unable to regain control of the bike upon landing from a jump. We believe a stuck throttle may have been the cause [of the accident]."

There's no definitive cause established for the crash, however, Temmerman said.

The wayward bike struck Kenneth Warner, a worker at the park, who suffered a broken leg. On social media, it was reported Warner underwent surgery and is recovering. He's still at the hospital, according to the posting.

Warner, 21, has been a park employee for about eight months, since the time Temmerman and his brother, Paul, took over as owners, Temmerman said.

Barnett was participating in a riding event organized by the "Over the Hill Gang," a group of local riders. The riding group is made up of members 30 years and older, Temmerman said. In total, there were about 60 riders at the event.

Tulare police and fire personnel responded to the crash. Motorcycle riding was called off the rest of Sunday.

Sgt. Greg Merrill said police are classifying the crash as an accident.

Police have received no reports of other recent incidents at the park, Merrill said. He referred additional questions to cycle park owners.

The fatal crash has hit the local motocross racing community hard, Temmerman said. He also offered condolences to Barnett's family.

"Our heart goes out to his friends and family," he said.

Online

www.tularemxcyclepark.com