Young MX Rider, Josh Lichtle, Dies of Heat Stroke at RedBud Hot

Josh Lichtle, a 23-year-old Motocross rider, died this weekend of heat stroke while competing at the RedBud National in Michigan.

According to ESPN, Lichtle collapsed on the final lap of the first 450 class moto on Saturday. Lichtle was able to get up, and he tried to restart his bike, but Lichtle collapsed again and had heat-related seizures on the track.

"He was doing really good, running some laptimes right there with the best of them, right there with Ryan Villopoto and Davi Millsaps, and he was really going for it," said Josh's older brother Bill. "He got overheated, basically, and by the last laps he was practically passing out on the bike. He just wouldn't quit. That was Josh. He just had so much heart and he wanted to be back competing at this level so bad that he wouldn't have quit for anything."

Lichtle was initially taken to the track-side doctor, but when his condition did not improve, he was rushed to Saint Joseph’s Medical Center. Lichtle was put into an induced coma to reduce his core body temperature, but was pronounced dead at 2 a.m. on Monday morning.

The temperature at RedBud was 93 degrees on Saturday.