Vehicle again strikes child biker on viaduct

A near repeat of a tragic incident in 2009 seems to have had a happier ending, with Havre emergency medical technicians taking a child to Northern Montana Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after the child's bicycle was struck by a black sport utility vehicle on the corner of 7th Avenue and 1st Street.

Havre Fire Chief Dave Sheppard confirmed this morning that the child was taken to the hospital, but that no life-threatening injuries were apparent.

According to the Havre Police Department log, the crash was reported at 12:04 p.m. Thursday and the intersection was cleared by 12:33 p.m. No further details were available by printing deadline.

The crash was a near repeat of a tragic crash on the viaduct over the railroad tracks on the intersection in 2009.

That crash killed 9-year-old Havre boy Kellen Lund, whose family started an annual memorial bike ride to remember him and to raise awareness of the need for drivers to watch for bicyclists and for bicyclists to practice bike safety.