Taiki Yanagida lost the life-and-death battle days after getting involved in a fatal horse racing accident. He was 28.

NZ Herald first reported that Yanagida succumbed to his injuries following a horse racing accident at the Cambridge Jockey Club in New Zealand. At that time, he fell from his horse, Te Atatu Pash, and lost his helmet. He was then trampled by another horse.

Meanwhile, Herald Sun detailed that he fell 250 meters from the finish line when the accident that left him with severe injuries to his head and spine happened.

He was still able to rush to Waikato Hospital. Yanagida was placed in an induced coma as the doctors tried to revive him. However, he died due to his extreme injuries on Tuesday. If he had survived, it was noted that he would highly likely never walk again.

One news outlet noted that Yanagida became the first jockey to die after falling during a race in New Zealand since 2016.

Following the news, Yanagida's racing manager, Ted McLachlan, and other members of the community paid tribute to him, calling him a well-liked jockey.

"He was such a wonderful young man. It really is a tragedy and so hard to watch what his mother and sister here have had to go through. This will really hurt the other people in the industry because Taiki was so popular," McLachlan said.

Meanwhile, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing CEO Bruce Sharrock opened up about the young man's popularity in the sport. He also sent their deepest sympathies to Yanagida's bereaved family.

Before his death, he was able to ride 162 winning horses.

Taiki Yanagida Said His Mother Did Not Want Him To Become a Jockey

Yanagida was still able to sit for an interview with RaceForm in June, sharing that his mother did not want him to become a horse jockey.

"I wanted to try and become a jockey, but my mom didn't agree, she said I must go to university first, I think she was worried about the gambling. I completed one year at university before I said I was going to Australia to train to be a jockey," he said.

But after years of trying to win her approval, Yanagida's mother finally felt happy for him and supported him in what he was doing.

Yanagida still hoped for a fruitful new season, but it was cut short by the accident.