Washington Boy Fatally Hit While Bicycling

A Wy’east Middle School student in Clark County, Washington, was reported to be in critical condition this afternoon after a bicycle-auto accident that occurred at 2:35 p.m. Wednesday.

The victim is a boy, whose name has not been released, believed to be 12 or 13 years old. He was first transported to Southwest Washington Medical Center, and was to be taken by helicopter to Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland, where he would be admitted to an advanced trauma center. The boy was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

The preliminary investigation showed that the boy was riding northbound on Southeast 136th Avenue, near the school, when he was struck by a westbound Chevrolet Blazer in a crosswalk at Southeast Seventh Street, said Officer Stephen Capellas, the Vancouver Police Department’s accident reconstruction specialist. Capellas is continuing the investigation of the accident.

The intersection is a four-way stop. After the driver stopped at the four-way stop intersection, she continued across 136th, and then hit the boy in the west-side crosswalk, stated Capellas.

There was no immediate indication of what caused the accident. It does not seem that light, weather, drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash. The drivers name is not released at this time but she is cooperating with police.