Boy slams bike into patrol car but not seriously injured

A child racing his brother on a bicycle was not seriously hurt over the weekend when he slammed his bike into a slowly moving police patrol car on the South Side, police said today. The accident occurred near Seventh Avenue and Oak Street about 7:30 p.m. Saturday when the Spokane police officer was responding to a non-emergency call. Officer Jennifer DeRuwe said the boy, who was wearing a helmet, bounced off the front quarter panel of the patrol car, which was not damaged beyond scuff marks. She said rules of the road apply to alleys, and that gives the vehicle moving through the alley the right of way over a bicycle entering the alley. The incident underscores the safety risks along alleys. Motorists should be aware of the possibility of a child or bicycle suddenly entering, DeRuwe said. She said the officer was moving very slowly at about 3 mph when the accident occurred.