Bicyclist critically injured in Kenmore traffic accident Thursday

A 64-year-old Woodinville man was injured Thursday while riding his bicycle in Kenmore and was taken to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition.

A 64-year-old Woodinville man was injured Thursday while riding his bicycle in Kenmore and was taken to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition.

The accident occurred about 2:55 p.m. in the 15500 block of Juanita Drive Northeast. According to a press release issued by Sgt. John Urquhart of the King County Sheriff’s Office, the bicyclist was northbound on Juanita Drive when he swerved across the roadway and struck the side of a southbound “vacuum” truck, driven by a 47-year-old Everett man.

Witnesses described the bicyclist as riding erratically just before the collision, and investigators believe some sort of a medical event precipitated the accident, Urquhart’s release noted.

The victim’s condition has stabilized after surgery at Harborview Thursday evening.

Juanita Drive Northeast reopened at about 6 p.m. The road was closed between Northeast 153rd Place and Northeast 170th Street while the King County Sheriff’s Office Major Accident Response and Reconstruction (MARR) Unit investigated the accident.

Traffic was heavy for about three hours over and down the hill from 170th to Simonds Road Northeast to 100th Avenue Northeast.

A trio of women was spotted handing out cups of ice water to motorists stuck in traffic near Inglemoor High.