Pedestrian hit by minivan, suffers serious injuries

A Spokane man was badly injured and his dog killed when they were struck by a minivan Friday evening as they tried to cross Francis Street. The man, whose name has not been released, was walking his dog. They crossed Francis mid-street between Elm and Cannon avenues about 6:30 p.m. when they were hit. Both he and his dog got tangled under the vehicle. The dog died at the scene, and the man was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries, said Spokane police spokeswoman Officer Jennifer DeRuwe. The driver of the minivan was not cited, DeRuwe said.