The Spokane to Sandpoint Relay Race was originally intended to test the endurance of a team of runners along with injecting the costumes and silliness of a fun-run. Unfortunately the second year of this race might be its last as two separate accidents cause one participant to be killed and two other runners to suffer serious personal injuries.
It is a 185-mile long relay race from Spokane, Washington to Sandpoint, Idaho. It is run all day and all night along the highways and through the small towns, generally taking a team of 12 people around 28 hours to run. Each runner runs between 4 and 7 miles (about an hour each) over 36 legs.
The race also has several checkpoints, but between those the runners must rely on their support staff of volunteer family and friends to get them through. Many of these support members ride along on bicycles carrying essential supplies and communication equipment in case of a medical emergency. What this weekend proved was that not even the support staff is safe in this race.
The first accident involved a runner who suffered broken bones after she was hit by a car. The Washington State Patrol says Robin Johnson, 44, was hit as she ran across Highway 2 near Colbert Road Friday morning during the first leg of the long race. Troopers said that the teenager driver who hit Johnson wasn’t responsible for the collision because they determined that Johnson had failed to yield to traffic.
Johnson was listed in stable condition at a Spokane hospital Saturday afternoon.
The second accident happened later in the race and had far more tragic results. Police say the crash happened at about 6:15 a.m. as race spotter Patricia A. Lambie, 46, of Greenacres, was riding her bike along side a 17-year-old girl running in the relay on Highway 41 near Blanchard, Idaho.
At the same time, Bowdeen Kahuhu, a 31-year-old Newport resident, was driving erratically north on Highway 41. A driver saw her and called 911 and told dispatch about her, but the cell signal was dropped before he could give details. He then stopped at a race checkpoint to warn them and try his cell again, but by that time it was too late.
Kahuhu, swerving along the highway, crossed the center line, hitting Lambie and the teen runner as they traveled north in the shoulder of the southbound lanes.
Lambie was airlifted from the side of the highway to Kootenai Medical Center where she was later pronounced dead. The teen was treated for serious personal injuries and later released to her team, hospital staff said.
According to a release, both were wearing reflective gear at the time of the collision.
Kahuhu was booked into the Bonner County Jail Saturday, charged with vehicular manslaughter as they believe alcohol was involved in the accident.
Race organizers said they are saddened by Lambie’s death and Friday’s collision, but admitted they had yet to consider the future of the relay.
Our condolences go out to the family and friends of the deceased. We hope that the injured runners have a swift and full recovery.
Distance running along the highway is very dangerous even when training. We have done multiple articles on runners and bicyclists being seriously injured or killed along seemingly desolate Washington highways. To pack them with runners and cyclists may prove to be unwise and just might be the demise of the Spokane to Sandpoint relay.
Phillips Webster represents families of victims who have been hurt or died in car accidents in Washington state. They are skilled attorneys in wrongful death lawsuits and personal injury lawsuits with years of experience that they will use to assure the you get the compensation you deserve. Call today for a free consultation.
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Driving drunk and getting caught can turn into a very expensive mistake. Just a driving under the influence (DUI) charge can cost thousands of dollars in fines and higher insurance premiums, but also can come with jail time. But a driver took it a little farther this weekend by involving five other cars in his mistake and multiple personal injuries.
