Bicyclist seriously injured after being sideswiped by deputy

BOWBELLS N.D.— A 65-year-old woman from Bowbells was seriously injured Friday afternoon, June 27, after being sideswiped by a Burke County sheriff’s deputy while bicycling along Highway 8, according to a release from the North Dakota Highway Patrol.

The crash occurred about 3:07 p.m. near mile marker 194, about 3 miles south of Bowbells in northwest North Dakota. The deputy, a 34-year-old man, was driving a marked 2022 Ford F150 southbound when he came in contact with the cyclist, who was also heading south along the fog line, the release said.

The deputy partially moved to the left but failed to provide enough clearance, sideswiping the bicyclist with his patrol pickup, according to the release.

The woman, who was wearing a helmet, sustained serious injuries and was taken by Bowbells Ambulance to Trinity Health in Minot.

Conditions at the time of the crash were dry with partly sunny skies.

The Burke County Sheriff’s Office and Bowbells Fire Department also arrived at the scene.

The incident also remains under investigation, including whether charges will be filed against the deputy.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.