A U.S. Olympic ski jumper, who lived in McHenry, died after he was rushed to the hospital following a motorcycle crash in Bull Valley Monday evening, authorities said.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, Bull Valley Police Department and McHenry Township Fire Protection District responded around 5:35 p.m. Monday to the 1000 block of Cherry Valley Road in Bull Valley.
A motorcycle slid off the roadway and the operator was ejected from his motorcycle.
Bystanders stopped and began performing CPR on the motorcyclist, who was unconscious and not breathing.
Paramedics rushed the man, identified as Patrick Gasienica, 24, of McHenry, to Northwestern Medicine Hospital in McHenry.
Gasienica was pronounced dead in the emergency room around 6:45 p.m. Monday.
McHenry County Coroner Dr. Michael Rein identified Gasienica as the victim Wednesday morning.
He was the sole occupant of the motorcycle and the occupants of the car were uninjured.
A preliminary autopsy confirmed Gasienica died as a result of blunt force trauma. Toxicology results are pending.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Major Crash Investigation Unit was called to assist the Bull Valley Police Department in the crash investigation.
The U.S. Ski and Snowboard said in a statement that Gasienica was a former U.S. ski jumping athlete and Olympian.
Gasienica grew up ski jumping at the Norge Ski Club in Fox River Grove and made his FIS Ski Jumping debut in 2015.
Gasienica represented the United States at two FIS Junior World Ski Championships in 2016 and 2017, the 2019 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Seefeld, as well as the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, according to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard.
“USA Nordic Sport and U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s thoughts and condolences are with his family, friends and the ski jumping community,” the governing body said in a statement.
Gasienica’s funeral arrangements are expected to be announced at a later date by the family.