July 27, 2021 |
“His retirement left a hole in the Senate, and his passing leaves a hole in our state and in our hearts.” So reads the statement from U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis on the passing of her predecessor, Mike Enzi.
Former Senator Enzi died on Monday after suffering serious injuries in bike accident.
News of Enzi’s death was made on the senator’s official Twitter account at 11:14 p.m. Monday night. The senator was seriously injured on Friday evening while biking near his home in Gillette. No other vehicles were involved, according to the Gillette News Record quoting a family member. First responders found the former senator unconscious when they arrived at the scene around 8:30 p.m. Enzi had suffered a broken neck and broken ribs. Reports indicate the senator was stabilized at the hospital in Gillette then airlifted to the medical center in Loveland.
Governor Mark Gordon ordered both the U.S. and Wyoming flags to be lowered to half-staff until further notice.
Senator John Barrasso said in a statement, “Wyoming and the nation have lost one of the most consequential public servants of our time.”
Enzi served Wyoming in the U.S. Senate for 24 years. Before that, he was elected as both a state representative and then senator to the Wyoming Legislature. He was mayor of Gillette from 1975 to 1982. Enzi was 77 years old.
Pictured above: File photo of former U.S. Senator Mike Enzi. Photo by Cali O’Hare/Bigfoot 99.
