Bellingham cyclist riding on I-5 shoulder struck by car after two-vehicle crash
A 50-year-old Bellingham man riding a bicycle on the shoulder of Interstate 5 south of Bellingham on Tuesday was at the wrong place and time when a vehicle collision left him injured on the side of the freeway.
The cyclist was riding on the shoulder of northbound I-5 just after 11 a.m. near milepost 247, according to an incident report from the Washington State Patrol. Two vehicles collided just behind him, and one of the cars veered into the guardrail before striking the cyclist.
The injured man was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle by helicopter. WSP provided no additional information on the nature or severity of his injuries. None of the occupants in the vehicles — a 23-year-old female from Blaine in a 2005 Kia and an 18-year-old female from Sedro-Woolley in a 2009 Honda — were injured, according to WSP. Both drivers were wearing seat belts.
The crash remains under investigation, and the WSP report indicates charges may be pending for the driver from Blaine.
WSP states the Kia had “reportable damage,” while the Honda was “totaled.”
The crash forced a closure of both northbound lanes of I-5 south of Bellingham that lasted until about 3:30 p.m. The helicopter landed near the crash site on the freeway so the injured cyclist could be flown from the scene directly to Seattle.