The motorcyclist killed in an early morning crash that shut down northbound State Route 347 on Thursday, paralyzing Maricopa’s main commuter route for more than four hours, has been identified as 21-year-old Yahir Garcia of Maricopa, according to the Pinal County Medical Examiner’s Office and a family confirmation.
Garcia died of multiple blunt impact injuries, the medical examiner’s office said. His death was ruled an accident.
Susan Vega confirmed Garcia was the victim of the crash near Cement Plant Road on the Gila River Indian Community. The collision closed northbound SR 347 for several hours Thursday morning and triggered a series of secondary crashes as drivers rerouted around the shutdown.
Garcia was a graduate of Buena Park High School in California. News reports show he played football and was on the honor roll at Buena Park Junior High School in 2019.
A GoFundMe created by relatives in Buena Park described Garcia as “a fighter, a hustler and a light in our lives.”
“Yahir was more than just a cousin. He was a friend, a mentor and an inspiration to us all,” the fundraiser said. “His energy, passion and drive were contagious, and he’ll be deeply missed.”
As of this morning, the fundraiser had raised $5,350 toward a $6,500 goal, according to the campaign page. The link circulated in the comments of InMaricopa social media posts reporting on the fatal crash.
Public records suggest Garcia was a Tortosa resident who moved to Los Gabrieles Way in 2023.
The crash remains under investigation by authorities on the Gila River Indian Community.
