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Cyclist sues King County after riding into unmarked sinkhole

Stock photo of a cyclsit. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

KING COUNTY, Wash. — King County is the subject of a lawsuit filed in Western Washington after a cyclist said he was injured when his front tire went into a sinkhole in Maple Valley.

The lawsuit claims the cyclist suffered a broken neck, three fractures in his spine, a broken shoulder and a broken pelvis.

In the lawsuit, lawyers for the cyclist said he started a bike ride in Seattle on Aug. 4, 2018, and rode through Issaquah, Maple Valley, the Cedar River Valley and May Valley before returning to Seattle.

The lawsuit says it was a “dry, warm day, with bright sun and no adverse weather conditions.”

Around 10:50 a.m., the cyclist said he was riding westbound on Sweeney Road in unincorporated King County.

When he was about 30 yards east of the 204th Avenue intersection, the cyclist claims his front wheel “suddenly dropped into a sinkhole in the road that was obscured by the shadow from a tree.”

The sinkhole was 2 feet to 3 feet at its longest point and 1 foot to 2 feet in width, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit claims there were no markings or warnings of the sinkhole.

The cyclist claims he was thrown headfirst over his handlebars into a ditch and landed on the crown of his head and back of his shoulders.

Despite knowing about the road hazard for years, King County “negligently allowed a hazardous hole to develop in the traveled portion of the road,” lawyers for the cyclist claim.

The lawsuit claims King County is liable for the unsafe condition of its streets and has a duty to inspect for dangerous conditions.

The cyclist is suing for general damages, both past and future medical costs and other special and general damages as permitted by law.

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