A 26-year-old firefighter died Thursday night after crashing his motorcycle while trying to round a curve in East Redding. Police say that shortly after 7 O’clock the rider, identified as Brock Jay Whaley of Redding, was traveling at high speed while taking the curve from southbound to eastbound Hartnell Avenue at Shotwick Trail by the V.A. Clinic. The bike hit the curb and Whaley was ejected as the motorcycle kept sliding along the sidewalk before hitting a tree. He was wearing a helmet but it popped off his head when the motorcycle first hit the sidewalk. Whaley flew into a metal pole, suffering fatal injuries. Whaley was declared deceased after arriving at Mercy Hospital. He was a firefighter with the Shasta-Trinity Unit of Cal-Fire and worked for them since May of last year. Police say there was no indication of alcohol or drug use. The incident remains under investigation by the Redding Police Department.