Dad of Two Hit by Biker in Central Park Is Near Death: Family Member

A 41-year-old man who was crossing West Drive in Central Park near West 84th Street suffered severe head trauma when he was hit by a speeding biker early on Sept. 23 an is not expected to survive.

“My nephew is not going to make it,” said Luann Moskowitz, who said she was the aunt of the victim that she identified as Rich O’Brien in a post on Instagram. “The family has been advised that his organs are shutting down and may have 24 hours to live. I’m praying for miracles now. More prayers please.”

Earlier she had said her nephew, who was married with two children, was in a medically induced coma after being rushed to New York Prebyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center on the day of the tragic accident. She said he was in a medically induced coma and had undergone two brain surgeries and there was bleeding on his brain.

Police said they were summoned to the accident scene by a 911 call around 6:36 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 23.

“A bicycle, being operated by a 32-year-old male, was travelling northbound on West Drive while a 41-year-old male pedestrian was walking in the roadway. The bicyclist struck the pedestrian causing him to fall to the ground sustaining severe head trauma.

“The bicyclist was also thrown from the bicycle and landed on the pavement and suffered minor injuries,” police said.

Moskowitz initially said her nephew was hit by an e-bike but was later informed by a witness that it was a pedal powered bike, a detail that coincides with the police report on the accident.

She also said that it took EMS 15 minutes to arrive on the scene due to congestion connected to the United Nations General Assembly. EMT response times have risen for the fifth year in a row, according to the recently released Mayor’s Management Report. A union leader recently warned that the EMS system is on the “brink of collapse” as low pay has caused high turnover and long term difficulty in attracting new recruits.

The bicyclist was treated on scene. The investigation remains ongoing by the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad.