Local News

“Motocross became his full-time pursuit, and he committed himself completely,” Alex Mechachonis’s family recalled.

By Abby Patkin

May 6, 2026 | 10:46 AM

3 minutes to read

• ...

Send this article to your social connections.

Authorities are investigating the death of a Massachusetts teenager who crashed his dirt bike last week at a Brookfield motocross track — at least the second fatality linked to the facility in recent years.

Regional organization NESC Motocross identified Granville resident Alex Mechachonis, 17, as the rider who was gravely injured during the April 28 crash. 

“Alex would have turned 18 this year, he leaves behind a loving family and many friends in the moto community,” the organization said in a statement. 

The crash occurred at the MX23 track in Brookfield, according to the Massachusetts Environmental Police, which oversees all-terrain vehicle registration and enforcement statewide. Mechachonis was airlifted to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where he was pronounced dead.

Danielle Burney, an Environmental Police spokesperson, said the agency is investigating the fatal crash alongside the Brookfield Police Department. 

“We offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased,” Burney said. 

In Mechachonis’s obituary, relatives remembered the teen as “a young man with an old soul” who “had a way of making people feel comfortable and welcome.”

“He had a great sense of humor, loved making others laugh, and was known for his playful spirit and practical jokes,” the obituary states. “He built many friendships throughout his life, but cherished a close circle of friends who shared in his outdoor adventures.” 

Mechachonis found his calling when he began racing motocross in the fall of 2022, according to his obituary. 

“His natural talent, combined with his relentless work ethic, set him apart,” the obituary states, noting Mechachonis’s multiple championship wins. “Motocross became his full-time pursuit, and he committed himself completely — training throughout the week and racing on weekends, even traveling to Florida to further hone his skills.”

Born in Hartford, Connecticut, and raised in Granville, Mechachonis previously attended Westfield Technical Academy before switching to homeschooling, according to the obituary. He had a “fearless, daredevil” spirit that drew him to adventure, his family said. 

“He loved speed and excitement — whether on horseback, a snowmobile, a quad, ice skates, or eventually a motocross bike,” according to his obituary. “He chased every thrill with determination and joy.”

MX23 closed for three days following Mechachonis’s crash. Writing on Facebook last week, track operators offered their condolences to the teen’s family and shared a link to a GoFundMe raising money for his funeral expenses. 

“There are no words to describe the heartbreak and sadness we all feel here at MX23,” the statement read. “All of us in the motocross community are family and when this happens it hits hard. God speed Alex rip it up there in heaven.”

Mechachonis’s death also heightens scrutiny of motocross, which USA TODAY dubbed the “deadliest sport for kids” after finding that 158 children and teens had died on dirt bikes and at motocross tracks between 2000 and 2025. 

Motocross can be dangerous for adults, too; in 2024, a 42-year-old Rhode Island man died after a dirt bike crash at MX23. The Boston Herald, which first reported on the facility’s track record, also linked a Worcester teen’s fatal 2016 dirt bike crash to MX23. 

A pair of bills pending on Beacon Hill aim to establish safety protocols for BMX bicycle and motocross tracks by laying out an annual permitting process, minimum design and maintenance standards, and requirements for protective equipment and liability insurance, among other stipulations. The proposed legislation is named “Colby’s Law” in honor of Colby Lippincott, a 14-year-old boy who died after crashing at a Cape Cod motocross track in 2024. 

“There were no flaggers, no emergency services onsite, no systems to respond when things went wrong. And this death has really shattered our community,” state Sen. Dylan Fernandes, who filed the Senate version of the bill, said last September. 

“We need safeguards in place to protect our kids, just reasonable regulations,” he added. 

While the American Motorcyclist Association has said the bill contains several provisions that could potentially put Massachusetts motocross facilities out of business and push young riders to unregulated, unsafe areas, Fernandes said Colby’s Law would implement “common safety and common sense.” 

“Motocross is a beloved sport in our state, but it needs better regulations so that Colby’s death is not in vain. And sadly, Colby’s story unfortunately is not the only one,” he noted. “Without good regulations around motocross, these events will continue to happen.”