Ironman athlete Brian Kozera died Saturday following a bicycle accident in Pennsylvania. He was 44 years old.
According to an accident report obtained by TMZ Sports, Kozera struck the passenger side of a pickup truck while training. The impact threw him from his bicycle, and he got caught in the car’s rear wheel. He later died at a nearby hospital from injuries sustained during the incident.
Kozera was a longtime officer for the Norristown Police Department, who released a statement on Twitter confirming his passing.
After surviving a 2014 cancer diagnosis, Kozera began training for ironman events. He was preparing to compete in the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii this October.
Kozera called participating in the upcoming competition “a dream of mine” on his blog.
Norristown Recreation Manager Erica Genaurdi, who worked with Kozera on several community events, mourned his loss.
“That’s what he was, single most amazing, caring human being,” Genaurdi said, per FOX 29 Philadelphia. “All he wanted to do is do anything he could for everybody else.”
Our condolences go out to Kozera’s family and friends for their tragic loss.