Cyclist hurt in pickup collision

A bicyclist was injured Thursday evening when he was struck by a pickup in Spokane’s West Central neighborhood.

The 43-year-old man riding the BMX bike did not have a helmet or brakes and appeared to have been at fault, said Spokane Police Sgt. Joe Walker. Officers also smelled alcohol on his breath.

The biker was taken to a hospital with head wounds and severe injuries to a leg but was expect to live, Walker said. His condition was unknown Thursday night.

The driver of the Silverado pickup, Dave Mazurik, said he looked both ways when he approached the intersection and didn’t see the bicyclist. Mazurik was delivering The Pacific Northwest Inlander weekly newspaper when the collision occurred.

“I kind of feel like he was trying to out-run me because he didn’t have brakes,” Mazurik said. “He wasn’t there and then he was.”

The bicyclist, whose name was not released, was southbound on Oak Street approaching Spofford Avenue when he was hit by the eastbound pickup about 4:50 p.m., Walker said. It was dark, and the biker was wearing dark clothing.

A witness in another car confirmed that the biker should have stopped, Walker said. Bicyclists, like motorists, are required to yield to vehicles on their right. The pickup was on the biker’s right.

Walker warned bikers and drivers that collisions between them often have traumatic results, even at lower speeds in residential areas.

“The injuries are usually substantial, and that’s what we saw here tonight,” Walker said.