Vehicle had been traveling west on NE 78th Street when it struck a 56-year-old male on a bicycle
A 56-year-old man riding a bicycle was injured Tuesday night when he was struck by a vehicle in Vancouver.
At about 10:40 p.m. Tuesday (Dec. 1), Clark County Sheriff’s Office deputies and EMS personnel were dispatched to the 1400 block of NE 78th Street for a collision involving a bicyclist and a vehicle. Callers to 9-1-1 said that the bicyclist was lying in the roadway with severe injuries.
Upon arrival, deputies contacted Natalie Berkey, the 19-year-old driver of a 2013 Hyundai sedan. Berkey had been traveling west on NE 78th Street when she struck a male on a bicycle who she stated had ridden directly in front of her vehicle. The male was later identified as James Evans, age 56. Berkey is a resident of Portland.
The CCSO Traffic Unit was called to investigate the collision and learned that Evans had ridden his bicycle from the north sidewalk of NE 78th Street to the south and into the path of Berkey’s westbound vehicle. The resulting collision had caused Evans to strike the front windshield of the Hyundai causing significant injury.
Berkey stayed on scene during the investigation, and was cooperative with deputies and detectives. She exhibited no signs of impairment and was issued no citations. There is no evidence of significant speed on the part of Berkey’s vehicle. The posted speed limit on this section of NE 78th Street is 35 mph. Evans was not wearing a helmet, nor was he using any type of lighting equipment.
Evans was not in an intersection when he crossed into the path of the westbound car. It should be noted that there is a signal-controlled intersection with a crosswalk at NE 13th Avenue, less than a block from where the collision took place. Evans did not utilize this intersection to cross NE 78th Street.
CCSO deputies learned that Evans had just left an encampment on the north side of 78th Street in the 1400 block. The encampment is one known to law enforcement to house several transients.
Per RCW 46.61.755, persons operating bicycles on the public roadway are subject to the same rules as a motor vehicle. As of this report, investigators concluded that Evans failed to yield the right of way to Berkey, which caused the collision.
Information provided by Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
