Richie O’Brien was walking through Central Park on his way to his steamfitter job on Sept. 23 when a cyclist struck him, leaving the 41-year-old father of two with severe head trauma. He died four days later, in the early hours of Sunday, with his wife by his side, and his family says he was able to donate his organs before he passed.
O’Brien, a member of Local 638 Steamfitters who “went to work every day to provide for his family,” according to a family statement on a GoFundMe page, was rushed to New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center in critical condition after the crash. As reported by People, the collision happened around 6:36 a.m. on West Drive near West 84th Street, when the bicycle, operated by a 32-year-old man, was traveling northbound and met O’Brien, who was walking in the roadway. A witness account cited by Streetsblog NYC, however, placed the crash near East 84th Street, just behind the Metropolitan Museum — leaving the exact location in dispute even as the broader details of the crash are consistent across accounts.
The cyclist, who was riding a regular pedal bike, was thrown from the bicycle and landed on the pavement, suffering only minor injuries that were treated at the scene without hospitalization. His identity has not been released, and it remains unclear whether he faces citation or charges. The New York Post reports the NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad is continuing to review the case.
A Family Left to Grieve, and a Final Act of Generosity
O’Brien is survived by his wife, Ronni, and their two daughters, Kylie and Mia. The family’s GoFundMe describes him as a proud steamfitter and devoted father whose legacy will live on, and says that even in his final days, he was able to give “the gift of life to others through organ donation,” per the same account.
The tragedy adds to a string of pedestrian-cyclist collisions inside Central Park. A pedestrian and cyclist collided on West Drive in Central Park, according to West Side Rag. A woman was struck by an electric bike in Central Park, according to a separate West Side Rag report.
Conservancy Has Pushed for Slower Speeds in the Park
The Central Park Conservancy has said high speeds — especially by e-scooters, e-bikes and non-electric racing bikes — can carry potentially life-altering consequences, and the group has long advocated for additional safety measures, the West Side Rag report states. Those measures include a 15-mph speed limit inside the park, stronger enforcement of traffic rules, and improved bike infrastructure around the park’s perimeter.
Citywide, the Department of Transportation has reported that 66 pedestrians had been killed by drivers so far this year, while none had been killed by e-bike riders, per Streetsblog NYC.
