Former Michigan state Rep. John Reilly has died after a bicycle crash in Orion Township, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office said. The 68-year-old Oakland Township Republican struck a large sewer bypass pipe while riding along a pedestrian safety path near the post office on Lapeer Road around 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11, and died Friday, Nov. 13.
The crash
According to the sheriff's office, Reilly was riding his bicycle on the pedestrian safety path when he struck a bypass pipe extending across the pathway as part of an ongoing sewer infrastructure project. The Orion Township Fire Department was dispatched around 6 a.m. to a reported medical emergency involving a bicyclist.
Bystanders began administering CPR before an Oakland County Sheriff's deputy arrived and continued lifesaving efforts. Orion Township firefighter-paramedics then took over, providing advanced life support before transporting Reilly to McLaren Oakland Hospital in Pontiac.
Reilly's wife, Karen Reilly, said her husband was biking to St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Lake Orion, where he leads a men's Bible study on Wednesday mornings. She said he "snapped his neck back" in the crash and that there were no cones or other markings around the pipe.
The injuries
Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett said Reilly suffered a spinal cord injury, two fractured vertebrae and a brain injury. Family attorney Joe Langlois confirmed that Reilly died after he was taken off life support Friday evening.
Reilly, an Oakland Township Republican, represented House District 46 in the Michigan Legislature from 2017 through 2022.
The investigation
The sheriff's office said the bypass pipe was part of an Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner's Office sewer lining project conducted within a Michigan Department of Transportation right-of-way. Barnett said the project began Oct. 26 and was supposed to be completed that week, and that he learned of it only after residents began complaining.
In a statement, Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash said the project is complete and the equipment was expected to be fully removed from the site on Saturday, Nov. 14. He said he was "extremely saddened" by the crash and noted that the sheriff's office is investigating the construction site and equipment at the accident location.
"This is a heartbreaking tragedy, and our deepest condolences go out to Mr. Reilly's family, friends and all those impacted by this devastating incident," Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard said. "We are grateful to the citizens and first responders who immediately took action to provide lifesaving care."
The sheriff's office Crash Reconstruction Unit is continuing its investigation. No final determinations have been made, officials said.
