Former Spokane Mayor Mary Verner recovering from ‘terrible’ bicycle accident that landed her in ICU

Former Spokane Mayor Mary Verner spent 11 days in a West Side intensive care unit following a bicycle accident on Sept. 3.

“I would say she sustained pretty serious injuries to her face and her head,” said City Councilwoman Karen Stratton, who had spoken to Verner’s daughter.

A GoFundMe page set up for Verner says “she was recently in a terrible bicycle accident.” As of Friday night, $1,060 had been raised. The accident occurred in the city of DuPont in Pierce County.

Verner has returned home and is expected to make a full recovery, Stratton said. Ted Danek, former Spokane city administrator, said she was “recovering fine.”

According to DuPont Chief of Police Bob Sheehan, Verner was riding her bicycle through a local park about noon on Sept. 3.

It appeared she ran into or got caught by vines growing on a trellis near the park’s sidewalk. Some other visitors at the park found her lying unconscious and called 911, he said. Her bike was the only vehicle involved in the accident and was undamaged.

Sheehan didn’t know if Verner was wearing a helmet. “She hit her head pretty good,” he said.

Verner, who serves as a top official in the Department of Natural Resources, ran unsuccessfully for public lands commissioner this year.