A freak accident in New York City's Central Park has left a father of two dead. With his family mourning an unspeakable loss.
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41-year-old Richie O'Brien was killed after a cyclist in the park crashed into him while he was going for his morning walk to work. His family and the New York City Police Department (NYPD) said to the New York Post.
Father of 2 Dead After Freak Accident
The incident occurred last Wednesday (September 23) as he was traveling through the park to his job as a steamfitter. He was walking through the park in the wee hours of the morning. So visibility was limited. That was apparent when a cyclist traveling north on the park's East Drive near 84th Street crashed into him.
The impact was so severe that Richie suffered severe head trauma. He immediately had to be rushed to Weill Cornell Medical Center. Unfortunately, his injuries were too much to overcome. He succumbed to his injuries on Sunday (September 27).
The post talked to one witness, Laura Sackler. Who was in a nearby area of the park during her routine morning run. She said that she could audibly hear the crash between Richie and the cyclist and described the cyclists' mannerisms as being "in disbelief."
She says that the incident is part of a growing problem between cyclists and pedestrians. And that some of the cyclists had been "aggressive" towards pedestrians in the park earlier that morning.
"Some aggressive cyclists were going by during this tragic moment who were yelling at us to move out of the way because we were in their way, causing problems," she said to the outlet.
"One of the issues is that the culture of the cyclists in there, they're really using it like a trackway. They're really using it like an area where they're able to get their training and speed work in around the park," she said. "I'm an athlete, and I'm a runner, and I have many friends who are cyclists, and I'm a huge advocate for all of us being able to use Central Park — but there are serious speed issues."
No word on whether the cyclist will face criminal charges for his role in the crash.
