A Riverhead man who was in the news after he was rescued from a burning truck earlier this month in Laurel died from his injuries Monday.

Donald Fox, 52, was seriously injured when his 1987 Dodge pickup left the roadway on Peconic Bay Boulevard on April 1 and struck a tree. Mr. Fox was pulled from the burning vehicle by several bystanders and taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center.

Mr. Fox was transferred to Stony Brook University Medical Center and placed into a medically induced coma to be treated for several fractures..

Family and friends said Mr. Fox, better known as “Don Don” to his friends, was a caring man and a “big ol’ teddy bear.”

Rick Oliver, Mr. Fox’s brother-in-law, said Mr. Fox grew up in Flanders. His sister and mother were at his side when he died Monday, Mr. Oliver said.

“He’d give you the shirt off his back if he could,” Mr. Oliver said. “He’d give you the last dime in his pocket.”

Mr. Fox, who was an avid Harley Davidson rider but gave up the hobby recently, was praised for his generosity and kindness.

“The guy’s got a heart of gold,” said Lenny Lubrano, owner of Lenny’s Pizza in Jamesport where Mr. Fox was a regular customer. “I’ve seen him in the carnival, filled with stuffed animals, giving them to little children. A real sweet man.”

Danny Watts, who was Mr. Fox’s boss at Danny’s Cesspool in Riverhead for the past seven years, said that Mr. Fox was “like a brother to me.”

“He’s a really special guy,” Mr. Watts said Monday.

psquire@timesreview.com