Student injured after bicycle collision with SUV in Post Falls
The Poleline Avenue/Cecil Road roundabout near Post Falls High School is the subject of community concern after a 15-year-old student was struck by an SUV in the intersection Tuesday morning.
HAILEY HILL/Press
POST FALLS — A 15-year-old Post Falls High School student sustained minor injuries, including a concussion, after being struck by an SUV while riding his bicycle early Tuesday morning.
According to the Post Falls Police Department, the student was using the crosswalk at the intersection of Cecil Road and Poleline Avenue when he was struck by an SUV exiting the roundabout.
“It’s a phone call no parent ever wants to receive,” Lt. Brian Harrison with PFPD told The Press.
The student was transported to Kootenai Health following the incident and has since been released. The driver of the SUV received a citation.
“The family of the student has requested that the driver of the SUV, although at fault, not be subject to speculation and ridicule,” a PFPD press release said. “They pointed out that this incident was also traumatic for the driver.”
Some members of the community voiced their concerns about the safety of the intersection following Tuesday’s incident.
“I feel like it is so busy in front of the high school, and everybody is going way too fast,” said Valerie Wilson, whose son is a freshman at PFHS. “That roundabout is scary, and even though there are flashing lights for pedestrians and bikes, I often see people drive through them not even paying attention.”
According to Rob Palus, a city engineer with the city of Post Falls, “the intersection was prioritized for a roundabout due to safety concerns from limited visibility and rapidly increasing collision history.”
Before the 2022 construction year, the intersection saw 21 reported collisions between 2017-21 — but since the roundabout was opened to traffic, there was only one reported collision in 2023 and one so far in 2024, according to data from the state of Idaho Collision History.
While PFPD has not seen any recent increase in accidents in the Cecil/Poleline intersection, Tuesday morning’s incident is a reminder of the importance of driver attentiveness and pedestrian safety.
“Drivers tend to watch for other vehicular traffic, but in many instances, drivers need to remember they share the road with pedestrians and bicyclists,” Harrison said.