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July 7, 2011 in City
Autopsy shows bicyclist died from his injuries
Dennis Widener is pictured June 29 in Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center after being a victim of a hit-and-run accident. He died Wednesday.
(Full-size photo)
A North Spokane bicyclist struck by a hit-and-run driver on North Division Street last month died from injuries suffered in the accident, an autopsy showed.
Dennis Widener, 66, died after a blood clot traveled to his lungs from deep within his body, the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s office said today.
Widener died on Wednesday in what family members said appeared to be heart attack.
He was undergoing recovery at St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute and was hoping to return home later this week when he began having breathing problems, a family member said.
Widener was rushed back to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center where he had been treated for more than a week following the June 23 accident.
Spokane police today renewed a request for help identifying the driver of a northbound vehicle that struck Widener on Division Street at Garland Avenue about 5:45 a.m. as he was finishing a bicycle ride.
A lighter colored sedan, possibly a Toyota Avalon, was involved, police and family members said.
Anyone with information should call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.
Widener, who was diagnosed with emphysema, was exercising at the recommendation of his doctor, and carrying a portable oxygen unit when he was hit. He was wearing a helmet.
He suffered several broken ribs and other injuries, including the deep bruises.
“It’s really horrible someone could do something like that to him and not stop to help,” said Kristina Williams, a stepdaughter.
She said arrangements for services were pending.
“He was the nicest man you’d ever know,” Williams said.
The cause of death was listed as a “pulmonary thromboembolism, due to a deep venous thrombosis, due to reduced mobility, due to blunt chest and extremity injuries.”
In layman’s terms, that is a blood clot that traveled from his veins to his lungs.
A Spokane police traffic investigator is working on the case, but police still have little to go on in identifying the driver.
Failing to leave information at the scene of an injury accident is a felony.
It is not known whether intentional disregard for safety, recklessness or impaired driving led to the accident, officers said. Evidence of that would have to be shown to support a vehicular homicide charge, authorities said.
“The investigation would recommend what an appropriate charge should be,” said Officer Teresa Fuller, a police spokeswoman.
Returning farmland to a state of nature 
Kivaari on July 07 at 4:01 p.m.
Sad for their family. The low life driver that left him to die, needs jail time if ever caught. Most likely a neighbor of one of you, living a lie for the rest of their lives. May God at least find a suitable punishment.
DickAdams on July 07 at 7:11 p.m.
DickAdams on July 07 at 7:23 a.m. (first post 7:23 am)
How sad. I`m wondering why the caption line saying “Heart attack kills injured cyclist”,(?) sounds to me like a semi cover up? Undoubtedly, the heart attack might have been brought on by the accident. For some reason it strikes me, that for reporting purposes, it is the reason for it rather than saying, hit and run accident caused the victims death. I hate being such a cynic but there is case after case where the story is skewered.
********I guess the Spokesman decided to change the caption line, from Heart attack to “died from injuries”.******************
Just wondering. Big difference in the caption line from earlier this morning until it was subsequently changed.
misjustice on July 07 at 7:24 p.m.
@ Dick, I agree; there is a lot of skewed “news reporting” going on up in here…
Just sayin’…
DickAdams on July 07 at 7:38 p.m.
MisJ, the hard copy couldn`t be changed. It reads Heart attack.
michaelm on July 07 at 7:40 p.m.
As the current moderator of this site, I can tell you that this story has been updated several times throughout the day as more information has been gathered, and initial versions were based on the facts as known to us at the time — including the cause of death.
DickAdams on July 07 at 7:46 p.m.
Mr. Moderator, I guess your telling me the SR shoots from the hip. In the print edition it shows, Heart Attack not from injuries.
DickAdams on July 07 at 7:57 p.m.
I wonder if the Spokesman will issue a correction in tomorrows newsprint?
carolynl on July 07 at 8:04 p.m.
Dick: We got word of the autopsy’s findings today, after the print edition hit the streets. Yesterday, the family believed he’d died of a heart attack, which we reported this morning. Today we learned that an examination has concluded otherwise, which we’ve reported online and in tomorrow’s newspaper. We publish based on the best information we have each day. Sometimes, new developments mean the information changes, which is why we update stories on this site as frequently as possible.
DickAdams on July 07 at 8:33 p.m.
I also posted my condolences to the family. Seems it evaporated, or because of the so many changes got lost someplace.
monkeyman on July 07 at 9:28 p.m.
“The cause of death was listed as a “pulmonary thromboembolism, due to a deep venous thrombosis, due to reduced mobility, due to blunt chest and extremity injuries…”
…in the light of the above comments I think it is worth clarifying whether the blood clot was a direct result of the injuries. The first two causes may not be a direct results of the accident, and could be hinting at longer term lifestyle etc.
(e.g. a stroke is caused by a blood clot that ends up in the brain. And the blood clots can form because of a number of different factors.)
Ed Byrnes on July 07 at 10:27 p.m.
This cyclist, the youth who drowned in the river, the man killed in the bear mauling…I hope that God will hear many prayers for their families and loved ones to find his strength, love and peace coming from our community…I will do my part.
Ed