Cole Porter, the Shrewsbury bicyclist who was seriously injured last month in an accident during a Tour de Fair Haven race, died Wednesday.
Porter’s death was reported on the Porterhouse Support Group Facebook page, where hundreds of tributes and messages of support had been posted after the September 15 accident.
“It’s just tragic,” said Fair Haven Mayor Ben Lucarelli, who was a friend to Porter.
Details about Porter’s passing were not immediately available.
A volunteer Shrewsbury firefighter, Porter is survived by his wife, Megan, and two daughters.
Porter was at or near the lead on the first lap of the first race of the day when he collided with a race official. Chief referee Dan Donnelly had stepped into River Road, opposite the borough firehouse, to retrieve a two-way radio he had unsuccessfully tried to hand off to the passing pace car when he was struck by Porter, according to witnesses.
Porter suffered a severe head injury and was transported by MONOC helicopter to the trauma center at Jersey Shore Medical Center. Donnelly was hospitalized for several days at Riverview Medical Center.
The accident led Porter’s friends to don t-shirts and swim caps in Porter’s favorite color – pink – at sporting events as a show of support. Dozens of riders participated in a Red Bank-based Ride for Cole two days after the crash.
In an interview last week, Lucarelli said there had been no discussion of ending the Tour de Fair Haven, which has now been run for five years.
