Red Bank Man On Bike Hit By Car, Succumbs To Injuries

SHREWSBURY, NJ — A local man who was hit by a car while riding his bike in Shrewsbury has now died, according to Shrewsbury Police.

The man is Douglas Yorke, 72, of Red Bank.

Yorke was hit by a car at approximately 5:45 p.m. March 31, Easter Sunday. He was hit on Samara Drive, just south of Obre Place. Yorke, on his bike, was pedaling south on Samara Drive when he and a 2017 black Honda HRV contacted each other.

Yorke was taken to Jersey Shore University Hospital by Shrewsbury First Aid Squad, and he died at the hospital last Thursday, April 11.

"(Yorke) died peacefully surrounded by his beloved family while in the outstanding care of the trauma team at Jersey Shore Medical Center," read his obituary.

The accident is still under investigation, said Shrewsbury Police Lt. Adam Cerminaro. To date, no charges have been filed against the Honda driver.

Local man was an avid cyclist

Yorke, who lived in Red Bank at the time of his death, grew up in Rumson, a town nice enough he decided to raise his three children there. His "childhood days were spent boating, skiing and scheming with his many friends," read his obituary.

"He was an avid cyclist, having biked all over the East Coast and Texas, on multi-day rides and centuries, in pursuit of a goal to log enough miles to circumnavigate the globe. Despite several significant injuries over 20+ years, he couldn't resist 'hitting the road' on a beautiful day. This Easter Sunday, his sunny ride was to be his last."

Yorke was also a writer, having written several op-eds in the New York Times, a blog on mergers and acquisitions and he wrote a book on American road maps and what they reveal about American history, "Hitting the Road."

He was a Monmouth Museum trustee, of which his mother Jan was one of the founding members. Yorke was a lifelong member of St. George's by-the-River Episcopal church.

A funeral service will be held at St. George's by-the-River at 10:30 a.m. May 11, with a reception to follow.

His obituary asked: "Most importantly, please share the road with cyclists."