Valley boy injured when scooter hits car
A Spokane Valley boy was injured when his motorized scooter collided with a car Tuesday evening.
The 12-year-old reportedly rode through a stop sign at the corner of Woodruff Road and Driftwood Drive and was hit by a Nissan Sentra about 5:30 p.m. The impact threw the boy off the scooter, cracked his helmet and crushed part of the Sentra’s windshield. The boy was taken to a hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries, according to the Spokane Valley Police Department.
His scooter wedged sideways under the front bumper of the Sentra.
Motorized scooters and miniature-sized motorcycles have been hot-selling toys in the Spokane area this summer. They’ve been spotted riding with traffic down busy roads like North Division Street and Argonne Road. With their proliferation, law enforcement officers have worried about safety. The riders are often young and reckless, police say.
There haven’t been any scooter fatalities in Spokane Valley, but, “absolutely some child is going to die,” spokesman Cpl. Dave Reagan said several weeks ago. “It’s just a matter of time before we have a serious accident with one of them.”
Vehicles ranging from the traditional-looking motorized scooters to a miniature motorbike is defined by state law as a “motorized foot scooter.” To meet the definition, the wheels have to be 10 inches or smaller in diameter. These scooters have the same access to roads as bicycles. They do not require a driver’s license.
Spokane and Spokane Valley are considering restrictions beyond the state’s requirements. City and police officials have gotten numerous noise and safety complaints about the scooters and mini-bikes from citizens.
Spokane Valley council members got a first look at the issue last week and will discuss scooters again at a meeting in September. Spokane’s Public Safety Committee decided this week to recommend that the City Council ban riders under 16 and not allow the scooters in “congested areas” such as downtown.
Chuck Griep lives not far from the intersection of Woodruff and Driftwood Drive, where Tuesday’s crash occurred. Griep said he sees the scooters zipping around the residential neighborhood, which is full of children. He’s seen scooters run stop signs and plenty of riders without helmets.
Spokane Valley police measured skid marks and photographed the scene. It’s unclear whether the driver of the Nissan, Darrah C. Bosse, 18, was going faster than the posted 25 mph when he crashed, said Spokane Valley Police Sgt. Martin O’Leary.
O’Leary, who supervises the Valley traffic unit, said traffic detectives will do an investigation before deciding whether anyone will be charged in the case.