Motorcyclist struck, run over by pickup truck

A motorcyclist suffered life-threatening injuries Monday evening when he was struck and run over by a pickup at a busy downtown intersection.

Police say the pickup was westbound on Sprague Avenue and turning south onto Browne Street at about 5:15 p.m. when it collided with the 63-year-old motorcyclist, who was eastbound and had the right of way.

“He turned right into the motorcycle,” said Spokane resident Anita Jacquet, who was waiting for a bus near the intersection and saw the crash.

Witnesses said after the initial collision, the motorcyclist came to rest in front of the pickup’s front tires. The pickup then proceeded to drive over the motorcyclist’s legs. When the pickup stopped, the motorcyclist was trapped under the undercarriage.

“When he drove over the guy, everyone was honking their horns trying to get him to stop,” Jacquet said.

Some witnesses who were angered that the driver continued after the initial collision shouted at the driver when he exited the pickup, and Jacquet said he responded: “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I was just trying to move my truck.”

A paramedic crawled under the pickup to offer initial aid. Firefighters used airbags to lift the truck off the motorcyclist, who was transported to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, said Fire Chief Bobby Williams.

Spokane police Lt. Dean Sprague said both drivers had green lights. There were no immediate indications that alcohol or speeding were factors in the crash. The motorcyclist was wearing a helmet.

The motorcyclist was riding a Suzuki GS 1000, a model that was manufactured in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The busy intersection was closed during the peak of rush hour traffic as police continued their investigation.

Sprague said red light enforcement cameras monitoring the intersection recorded the crash.

The location is one block west of Sprague and Division, which is considered by police to be the city’s most dangerous intersection.