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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Motorcyclist hurt leaving Valley bar

Officials say man wasn’t using helmet

A Spokane man was still in critical condition in Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center Thursday after crashing his motorcycle in the early hours of Feb. 14 at the corner of Trent and Park.

Ricky D. Dobson, 41, was accelerating out of the parking lot of the Corner Club Bar and Grill at 1:27 a.m. when he lost control and crashed, according to a Washington State Patrol press release. The WSP is also reporting that alcohol appears to be a factor in the crash.

Spokane Valley Fire crews were called to help the man, said Assistant Fire Marshal Bill Clifford. “When we found him he was about 15 yards away from his motorcycle, unresponsive in the middle of the street,” said Clifford. “He was not wearing a helmet.”

Dobson appeared to have serious head injuries, Clifford said.

Another crash during the week of Feb. 11-17 claimed the life of a 77-year-old man in the 13300 block of East Mission Avenue on Feb. 13, but his death wasn’t due to injury. “It appears he had some type of medical situation that made him crash his vehicle,” Clifford said. Firefighters performed CPR, but the man died at the scene, Clifford said.

There was only one hazardous materials call during the week, but it required multiple units to respond to the Sullivan Park Assisted Living Center, 421 S. Adams Road, at 1:44 p.m. on Feb. 16. Employees working in the kitchen were reporting burning eyes and throats.

“It appears that some cleaning solutions intermixed when they shouldn’t have, which created a hazardous incident,” Clifford said.

People were evacuated from the immediate area and residents were asked to stay in their rooms while crews investigated. “Once we figured out what it was everything was washed down and ventilated,” he said.

Overall firefighters responded to 188 calls during the week, including 163 EMS calls. There were four reported structure fires. One was an illegal burn barrel and another was an illegal outside fire. A chimney fire in the 8800 block of East Frederick Avenue on Feb. 11 spread to an exterior wall and caused about $20,000 in damage. “The first crews on scene knocked it down fairly quickly,” Clifford said.

The other was a small fire that caused $500 in damage to a bathroom at the Opportunity Hall Apartments at 10506 E. 10th Ave. It appears the fire began in a cabinet underneath a sink, and it is under investigation, Clifford said.

There were also two vehicle fires and nine false building fire alarms. In an unusual departure, there were no service calls. Not one parent accidentally locked their child in a car, which is usually a weekly staple for the fire department.