SOAP LAKE – Friday at around 8:15 p.m., Grant County Fire District 7 was dispatched to a vehicle vs. bicyclist collision on Highway 28 near Franklin Street in Soap Lake.  

Upon arrival, responders found the bicyclist, who was wearing dark clothing, with minor injuries. The bicyclist was transported to a local hospital for treatment.  

“There were previous reports of this person prior to the accident where people were reporting they nearly hit them,” GCFD7 Chief Chris Baker said. “So, this has been kind of an ongoing issue.”  

The vehicle involved sustained significant front-end damage and was not drivable. 

“Cyclists need to ensure that they are wearing reflective vests and abiding by the Washington State law,” Baker said. “Which is a white light to the front that's visible from 500 feet, a red reflector from the rear, or a red light.” 

GCFD7 responded with one chief officer, one ambulance and one engine. They were assisted by the Soap Lake Police Department, Grant County Sheriff’s Office and Washington State Patrol, who are leading the investigation.  

“The biggest thing is just to make sure that they're abiding with the traffic laws,” Baker said. “From what I understand, it's the same laws as the motor vehicle. So, you have to stop at stop signs. You have to be going in the flow of traffic. You can't be against the flow of traffic. So for example, if you are going northbound on the road, you cannot be driving on or riding your bicycle on the southbound side, against traffic. The use of hand signals for turning. Ensuring that if you're riding a bicycle, that you make good eye contact with drivers prior to making any evasive maneuver, such as turning onto a roadway, things like that. I think the biggest thing is just really ensuring that you're visible in this particular circumstance.” 

Burns said GCFD7 deals with a handful of incidents between a bicyclist and a motor vehicle every year, however, he said the county sees a vehicle v. pedestrian or cyclist a couple of times a month. He strongly recommends that both pedestrians and bicyclists are visible, especially as the sun starts to go down to prevent incidents like this.