PORT JEFFERSON STATION, NY — A Long Island family is mourning Richie O’Brien, a 41-year-old steamfitter from Port Jefferson Station who died Sunday after injuries from a crash with a bicyclist in New York City last week. Friends said he suffered a severe brain injury and died peacefully with his wife, Ronni, at his side.
The loss has left behind Ronni and the couple’s two daughters, Kylie, 8, and Mia, 12. A community fundraiser has already collected more than $132,000 to help with immediate expenses and the family’s mortgage as Ronni adjusts to life as a single mother.
Investigation into the crash remains open
The New York Police Department said the collision is still under investigation by the Highway District Collision Investigation Squad. Police have not publicly released a full account of how the crash happened or what led up to it.
That leaves several details unresolved, including the circumstances of the encounter with the bicyclist and the precise sequence of events before O’Brien was hospitalized. For now, the most concrete facts are that the crash happened in New York City, O’Brien was seriously injured, and he died days later from those injuries.
Friends describe a father who worked to support his family
O’Brien was described by friends and family as a proud member of Local 638 who went to work every day to provide for his household. His wife is a stay-at-home mother, and supporters said he wanted to give his family the life they deserved…