Canadian cyclist on fundraiser ride dies after being hit by semi

BROOKINGS, S.D. (FOX 9) - A Canadian cyclist struck by a truck driver in South Dakota last week died from his injuries on Monday, authorities say.

Last Thursday, Jean-Pierre "JP" Petit, 53, was riding along I-29 as part of a fundraiser for his granddaughter, who suffers from kidney disease, when investigators say he was struck by a truck driver. Petit was transported to a Sioux Fall hospital with life-threatening injuries. He ultimately died four days after the crash. He was wearing a helmet at the time of the incident and riding along the fog line when he was hit, the South Dakota Department of Public Safety said in a statement.

The crash occurred around 11:50 a.m. near mile marker 149, just 17 miles north of Brookings. The 65-year-old South Dakota truck driver did not sustain any injuries. Authorities say "charges are pending" for the driver. 

Petit was riding from Winnipeg to Hot Springs, South Dakota to raise $20,000 to pay for post-surgery costs for his granddaughter Eveline’s kidney transplant, which she received from her father on March 10, along with raising money for the children's hospital. As of Thursday, the family has passed their goal and raised $22,098. 

"God provided us a miracle of a man who is leaving a legacy of love, selflessness, and heroism." his son Marquis wrote on Facebook. "And now, with this legacy ride, he is donating his organs to help save more lives."