WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Former U.S. Senator Mike Enzi died from injuries he sustained in a bicycle accident in his home state of Wyoming, his family said late on Monday.
Enzi, who was 77, was airlifted to UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, Colorado, following the accident on Friday.
Enzi, a Republican, retired in January after 24 years in the U.S. Senate.
A friend of Enzi’s, Wyoming attorney John Daly, told the Gillette News Record that Enzi was riding his bike shortly before 8:30 p.m. on Friday near his home in Gillette, Wyoming, when the accident occurred.
Someone found Enzi and called an ambulance, Daly said.
Enzi’s children said in a Facebook post on Monday, before his death, that “the details of the biking accident are unknown at this time.
Prior to winning a U.S. Senate seat in 1996, Enzi served as Gillette’s mayor and a state lawmaker.
Enzi, a mild-mannered conservative, was popular in Wyoming throughout his tenure, winning general elections with over 70% of the vote.
“His family expresses their deep appreciation for all of the prayers, support and concern. They now ask for privacy and continued prayers during this difficult time,” his family said in a tweet through Enzi’s account.
(Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Additional reporting by Radhika Anilkumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonali Paul)
