Olympic medal-winning track and field athlete Germaine Mason died Thursday in a motorcycle crash in outside the capital of his native Jamaica, police in the Caribbean island said.
Mason, who competed for Britain in the 2008 Olympics, apparently lost control of his Honda motorcycle before dawn in St. Andrew Parish, the Jamaica Constabulary Force said in a statement. The 34-year-old athlete was taken to a local hospital but did not survive.
Authorities did not disclose a possible cause of the accident, which occurred in an area by the airport that is frequently used by people to race cars and motorcycles in the early morning hours.
The Gleaner newspaper in Jamaica reported on its website that several other athletes, including sprinter Usain Bolt, turned up at the accident scene immediately after crash, which occurred around 4:30 a.m.
Bolt's agent did not immediately respond to a request for comment.