RSSInjured cyclist recovering in Seattle hospital
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YAKIMA, Wash. -- Authorities say they're still looking for the driver who hit a retired neurosurgeon on his bike and then fled Wednesday.
The bicyclist, 72-year-old Leslie Ross Bornfleth, remained in satisfactory condition Thursday evening at Seattle's Harborview Medical Center.
He suffered multiple fractures after being hit on Wide Hollow Road when he stopped at 101st Avenue and signaled a left turn, authorities said.
The accident occurred in the middle of the afternoon and Bornfleth was wearing a helmet, according to the Yakima County Sheriff's Office.
The vehicle that hit the bicyclist was described as a mid-1990s Toyota 4-Runner. Witnesses said it was green or lavender.
"As many are aware, there are more and more bicyclists on the roadways," Sgt. John Durand wrote in an e-mail. "Drivers need to be aware of them and should always expect the unexpected.
"They should slow down and also allow for plenty of room when passing cyclists so as to not crowd them off the roadway."
The driver involved in Wednesday's accident remains unidentified and authorities "really need help from the public in trying to identify him," Durand said.
Witnesses described the driver only as a man in his 40s, according to the sheriff's office.
Bornfleth, who was flown to Harborview late Wednesday, had worked as a neurosurgeon for more than 20 years at Yakima Regional Medical and Cardiac Center before retiring in 1997, hospital officials said.
"Dr. Bornfleth is highly regarded in this community and our hospital, and on behalf of Yakima Regional, our thoughts and prayers are with him, and we wish him a complete and speedy recovery," said Monte Bostwick, the hospital's CEO.
Highlighting the importance of bicycle safety, Durand made the following suggestions:
* Wear the proper safety equipment to make yourself as visible as possible.
* Obey the rules of the road, including stopping at stop signs and using hand signals to show intentions to turn and stop.
* Use the right side of lane, or a bike lane if it's available. Also, when traveling with a group, ride in single file.
Anyone with information on Wednesday's accident is asked to call the sheriff's office at 509-574-2500.
* Melissa Sánchez can be reached at 509-577-7675 or msanchez@yakimaherald.com.
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