The mother of Aidan Zingg, the rising young motocross star who tragically died after crashing during a competition in California last month, has confirmed his cause of death.
Shari Zingg confirmed to USA Today on Friday that her 16-year-old son died as a result of “cardiac tamponade,” dispelling conflicting accounts of what happened to Zingg after he crashed during an event in Mammoth Lakes, California on June 28.
According to the report, the Mono County Sheriff’s Office is conducting the autopsy but provided no further details to USA Today beyond the family’s confirmation.
The Cleveland Clinic describes cardiac tamponade as a condition where “the fluid sac around your heart fills with too much blood or other fluid and puts pressure on your heart,” making it difficult for the heart’s chambers to fill properly and leading to a drop in blood pressure.
The condition can be caused by “cancer, infections, trauma and certain diseases,” and can be life-threatening without treatment.
The rider crashed his bike in the 250 B class. According to initial reports at the time, Zingg was allegedly run over by other riders.
But a spokesperson for Next Level Sports Management disputed those claims in a statement to Fox News Digital, confirming that Zingg “was not run over by any motorcycles/riders.”
Kawasaki Racing released a statement on Zingg’s passing in a post on social media last month, confirming the news of his death.
“It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the passing of Kawasaki Team Green rider Aidan Zingg,” the team wrote on X. “Zingg lost his life following injuries sustained during a crash at Mammoth Motocross in Mammoth Lakes, California.
“Zingg’s dedication and kind demeanor will forever be remembered.”
Zingg had been competing on the amateur circuit since at least 2019 and qualified to race at the AMA Amateur Motocross National Championship in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, for the seventh straight year, according to MX Sports.
Last year, Zingg earned an AMA National Championship in the Supermini 2 class.
He was a part of the Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green roster with other up-and-coming riders Kyleigh Stallings, Ryder Ellis, Landen Gordon, Vincent Wey and Enzo Temmerman.
