Overview
- Richie O’Brien, 41, was struck by a 32-year-old pedal cyclist while walking to work and suffered severe head trauma in a collision that occurred on Wednesday, Sept. 23.
- O’Brien was taken to Weill‑Cornell in critical condition, placed in a medically induced coma, and his family announced he died on Sunday and donated his organs.
- The cyclist remained at the scene with minor injuries and the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad is actively reviewing the case with no arrests announced.
- Witness accounts and the initial police report differ on the crash location, with some saying East Drive near the Metropolitan Museum and police citing West Drive near 84th Street.
- The death has intensified calls from the Central Park Conservancy and safety advocates for a permanent 15 mph limit, stepped-up enforcement, a review of the DOT’s drives redesign, and it is expected to inform a City Council hearing on micromobility.