An 18-year-old motorcyclist died Sunday night after losing control at high speed and crashing into a light pole near the intersection of North Ash Street and West Courtland Avenue in Spokane, Washington. The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as Kiril Herlazhyi and ruled his death accidental, attributing it to multiple blunt-force injuries. The crash is one of at least 18 fatal motorcycle wrecks recorded in Spokane since 2023, city officials say, with speed a common factor. In response, Spokane rolled out its first-ever Emergency Streets safety measure at the crash site within days of the wreck.
According to KXLY, the city closed one southbound lane of Ash Street between Kiernan and Euclid avenues for two weeks, installing traffic cones, pink Emergency Streets signage and a speed feedback sign to slow drivers through the corridor. Spokane’s Director of Transportation, Jon Snyder, said the rapid-response program is meant to address a “wicked problem” with multiple tools, including added traffic cameras and increased traffic-calming funding. KXLY reported that city staff will collect speed and traffic-pattern data during the closure to evaluate the measures. The Spokane Police Department’s investigation into the exact cause of the crash remains ongoing.
An 18-year-old motorcyclist was killed Sunday night after crashing into a light pole near North Ash Street and West Courtland Avenue in Spokane, Washington. Kiril Herlazhyi, who had lived in Spokane for two years after immigrating from Ukraine, died at the scene. Witnesses said Herlazhyi and other vehicles appeared to be racing and driving recklessly moments before the crash. Friends and family are now remembering him for his devotion to his church and his work serving homeless residents in downtown Spokane.
According to KREM, friends said Herlazhyi ‘had God’s love’ and dedicated much of his time to cooking for and helping the homeless in downtown Spokane. The outlet reported that loved ones organized a GoFundMe to help the family cover funeral expenses. The Spokane Police Department is investigating the crash, and the Spokane County Medical Examiner has since completed the cause-of-death determination. In response, the City of Spokane closed a lane of Ash Street for 14 days as part of its new Emergency Streets safety program, installing traffic-calming measures near the crash site.
An 18-year-old motorcyclist who had recently relocated to Spokane, Washington, from Ukraine was killed Sunday night, September 20, 2026, after his motorcycle crashed into a light pole near the intersection of North Ash Street and West Courtland Avenue. Spokane police responded to multiple 911 calls around 8:40 p.m. and found Kiril Herlazhyi, 18, badly hurt after the crash; despite life-saving measures performed at the scene, he was pronounced dead. Witnesses told investigators that Herlazhyi and several other vehicles appeared to be racing and driving recklessly moments before he lost control. No other injuries were reported. Roads in the area were shut down for several hours while officers investigated.
According to NonStop Local KHQ, the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office identified Herlazhyi and ruled his death an accident caused by multiple blunt force injuries. KHQ reported that Herlazhyi and his family had lived in the U.S. for about two years after leaving Ukraine, and that he was known in Spokane’s downtown community for volunteering with a church ministry that served meals to people experiencing homelessness. The Spokane Police Department said the crash was a reminder of how quickly a fatal outcome can occur when someone is not driving safely, urging drivers to slow down. Days after the crash, the city began enforcing a two-week lane closure on Ash Street under its new Emergency Streets pilot program, its first use of that safety measure, according to The Spokesman-Review.
