A 19-year-old UCSB student was killed Saturday night when he lost control of his motorcycle while driving southbound on Highway 33 in Ventura County.

Sophomore George Kalev was traveling at high speeds when he hit a curve in the road and lost control of his vehicle at approximately 5:10 p.m. His Kawasaki motorcycle went off of the shoulder of the highway and was airborne for several hundred feet before it hit the ground. After the initial impact, the motorcycle turned end over end several times and Kalev was thrown from the bike. Both Kalev and his motorcycle came to rest in thick brush approximately two miles north of Munson Creek, which is located near Wheeler Springs, a small town northwest of Ojai.

Kalev’s friends, who had been following him in a separate vehicle, stopped and tried to help the victim. His friends carried his body to the shoulder of the highway, removed his helmet and attempted to perform lifesaving measures until the Ventura County Fire Dept. arrived on the scene.

Kalev was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:54 p.m. from injuries incurred in the crash. His family has been notified by the Ventura County Medical Examiners Office.