Relay runner in serious condition after U.S. 2 accident

A relay race runner was in serious condition this afternoon after being evacuated by medical helicopter to Providence Sacred Heart Hospital after being struck by a car on U.S. Highway 2 at Colbert Road this morning. Robin Johnson, 44, of Spokane, the relay participant, was crossing the highway when the accident occurred. She was participating in the Spokane to Sandpoint relay race today, an event that will continue throughout the night and Saturday morning across Spokane, Kootenai and Bonner counties with dozens of teams involved. She reportedly suffered a broken leg and scrapes, but was showing no signs of head injury, a race spokesman said. Emergency crews from Fire District No. 4 were on the scene of the accident that occurred just before 8:20 a.m. Traffic was stopped temporarily while the helicopter landed to make an evacuation. The Washington State Patrol said that Johnson failed to yield right of way at the intersection and was struck by a 1998 Subaru Legacy driven by Madilyn K. Young, 16, of Newport. Young was headed south at the time and collided with Johnson in the roadway. Troopers said that Johnson would be cited for failure to yield. The relay began this morning at Bear Creek Lodge on Mount Spokane and the course was taking participants west toward the Little Spokane River on its first set of relay legs. The course continues to Nine Mile Falls and then up the Spokane River on the Centennial Trail to Coeur d’Alene. From there, it returns to the Huetter area and then northward to Silverwood Theme Park, Athol, Newport and Sandpoint. The race was planned to go through the night tonight and into Saturday morning, according to the relay’s web site. Fire officials said they had not been notified in advance of the race, and would prefer to work with race organizers to help ensure safety of participants as well as a quick fire response in case of an accident. The race spokesman was not immediately available to comment on the issue of notification.