Four injured in I-90 motorcycle crash near Rose Lake
Photo by CHANSE WATSON (Left) Idaho State Trooper Todd McDevitt and SCFD No. 2 Fire Chief Mark Aamodt inspect one of the wrecked motorcycles on Saturday while emergency crews treat two of the riders for injuries.
One of the wrecked motorcycles lays on the interstate. This bike caught fire and had to be put out.
CATALDO — Four motorcycle riders were treated by emergency personnel and transported to Kootenai Health on Saturday after a series of event led to three bikes crashing on the freeway.
The incident occurred on Saturday when a group of riders were heading westbound on Interstate 90 coming from Kingston.
Idaho State Police reports that around 2:51 p.m., one of the riders in the group, Patrick J. Donovan, 69, of Spokane Valley, Wash., ran off the roadway at milepost 34 near the Rose Lake exit for an unreported reason.
As Donovan came back onto the roadway, he collided with another bike driven by Albert G. Galli, 72, of Post Falls, Idaho. Then the third motorcycle affected, driven by Brian K. Cichowicz, 46, of Spokane, Wash., hit Galli — causing a chain reaction. Cichowicz also had a passenger on his bike, identified as Martina Hernandez, 50, of Cheney, Wash.
Once it had been reported, medical and fire crews from Shoshone County Fire District No. 2 responded to the scene and treated all four individuals for various broken and fractured bones, and other minor injuries.
The three drivers and the passenger were all wearing helmets and riding gear at the time of the crash. SCFD No. 2 Fire Chief Mark Aamodt told the News-Press that this gear not only saved their lives, but also greatly reduced the amount of friction burns and scrapes they received.
One of the motorcycle’s fuel tanks did ignite as a result of the crash and had to be extinguished by firefighters.
All four bikers were later transported to Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene, where they were treated for their injuries and later released.
As a result of the crash, both westbound lanes of traffic were blocked for approximately 1.5 hours. During that time, traffic was diverted through the use of the Rose Lake exit on- and off-ramps.