Former Congressman, 68, Killed While Biking to Bible Study

A former Michigan state lawmaker has died following a devastating bicycle accident after striking a large sewer pipe stretched across a sidewalk just a few hundred feet from the church where he was headed for Bible study.

John Reilly, 68, died Friday, November 13, two days after the early morning crash in Orion Township, Michigan. His death has sparked serious questions about safety precautions at a construction site where residents had reportedly complained about exposed pipes before the tragedy.

Reilly was riding his bicycle along North Axford Street around 6 a.m. Wednesday when he struck a large black pipe extending across the pedestrian pathway near the local post office.

He was heading to St. Joseph Catholic Church in Lake Orion, where he regularly led a Wednesday morning men’s Bible study.

According to his family, Reilly was wearing a helmet, had a powerful headlight mounted on his bicycle and had traveled the same route countless times.

But on that dark November morning, his familiar ride took a devastating turn.

The collision left Reilly with a severe spinal cord injury, two fractured vertebrae and a brain injury, according to Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett.

Bystanders rushed to help, performing CPR before sheriff’s deputies and paramedics arrived. Reilly was transported to McLaren Oakland Hospital in Pontiac, where he remained in critical condition.

Despite efforts to save him, Reilly died Friday evening after being taken off life support, family attorney Joe Langlois confirmed to The Detroit News.

The circumstances surrounding the crash have raised troubling questions about why the large pipe was positioned across a public pathway without apparent warning signs or barricades.

“There were no cones or anything around,” Reilly’s wife, Karen, told The Detroit News.

Photographs and reporting from WXYZ-TV also indicated that the sidewalk had not been blocked off when the crash occurred. Cones and caution tape were placed around the area afterward.

Barnett, who personally knew Reilly and attended Bible study with him for years, expressed frustration over the circumstances.

“I’m really frustrated and angry,” he told The Detroit News.

The pipe was part of an Oakland County sewer infrastructure project that began October 26. Barnett said township officials had already received complaints from residents about construction equipment obstructing sidewalks and roadways.

The project was overseen by the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office, with DVM Utilities identified as the contractor.

County officials and the contractor have expressed sympathy and said they are cooperating with efforts to establish what happened.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard confirmed that the department’s Crash Reconstruction Unit is investigating the incident, including conditions at the construction site and possible contributing factors. No final determination of responsibility has been announced.

Reilly, a Republican, represented Michigan’s 46th House District for six years, from 2017 through 2022.

Beyond his political career, friends described him as a devoted husband, father of four and grandfather of 13 whose Christian faith shaped much of his life.

Longtime family friend Joe Kearns, who had known Reilly for 35 years, remembered him as someone who was always ready to help others.

“He would give you the shirt off his back,” Kearns told WXYZ.

Michigan Republican Party Chairman Jim Runestad and Oakland County Executive David Coulter were among those mourning Reilly’s death, praising his character and dedication to his community.

What began as a routine bicycle ride to a church only minutes away has now become the subject of an investigation, as authorities work to determine whether more could have been done to prevent the fatal crash.