Port Jefferson Station man killed after being struck by bicyclist in Central Park

A Port Jefferson Station man died Sunday, days after he was hit by a bicyclist in Central Park, police said.

Richard O'Brien, 41, was walking on East Drive in Central Park about 6:36 a.m. Wednesday when a 32-year-old man heading north on a bike struck him, the New York Police Department said in a news release.

O'Brien fell to the ground and suffered severe head trauma, the NYPD said. He was transported to New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center on the Upper East Side, where he was pronounced dead.

The bicyclist was ejected from the vehicle and landed on the ground, police said. He was treated for minor injuries at the scene. The crash remains under investigation by the NYPD Highway District's Collision Investigation Squad.

O'Brien was a journeyman steamfitter with Local 638, said Steamfitters Union President Brian Hunt. He has been a member of the union for more than 10 years and had most recently been working on installing mechanical systems at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Hunt said.

"He was a family man with two young children. He was a good example of what that all means," Hunt said. "He’d wake up early every morning, get to work on time and was very reliable. He was a positive influence on those around him."

The union will work to support O'Brien's family and his wife, Ronnie, , said Hunt, 44, of Queens.

"He’d always spend time with his kids. They have needs without the main breadwinner present," Hunt said. "There's never going to be another Richie. He was a loss to anyone he worked for. He was one of the best."

An online fundraiser for the O'Brien family had raised more than $156,000 Tuesday. The funds were being donated to his wife, who now must raise their two young daughters, according to the post on GoFundMe.

The fundraiser said O'Brien was struck while walking to work and "suffered a severe and devastating brain injury."

"No family should have to worry about finances while facing something this heartbreaking," organizers said. 

"Richie’s legacy will live on," the fundraiser said. "He was able to give the gift of life to others through organ donation, helping those in need even in his final moments."