Boy on bike hit by car

By Lori EhdeA Luverne 8-year-old is recuperating at home this week after a bike-vs-car accident Tuesday night.According to the accident report, Ethan Marshall and his friend, Dalton Jacobsma, turned left on their bikes from Marshall’s driveway onto the street.At that time a 1993 Chevy Lumina was approaching on their right, heading west, and was not able to stop in time to avoid hitting Marshall.Marshall was taken to Luverne Community Hospital, and then to Sioux Falls for a more thorough x-ray of his vertebrae, but he was sent home that night."He’s doing remarkably well," said his mother, Janet Marshall. "He’s kind of scraped up, but fortunately he has no broken bones and no stitches. … We’re just so thankful he’s okay."Jacobsma suffered no injuries in the accident, but the boys had exchanged bikes, so the Jacobsma bike was mangled at the scene.His mother, Erin Jacobmsa, arrived at the intersection shortly after the ambulance did."I saw Dalton’s bike, and kind of panicked … and then I was so glad to hear he wasn’t hurt," she said. "But then, I felt so bad to hear that Ethan had been hurt."According to Sheriff Mike Winkels, the driver, Joyce Bristow, Luverne, was clearly not at fault. "This is a simple case of a bicyclist failing to yield," he said Wednesday.The accident happened at about 6:30 p.m. near the intersection of West Bishop and North Donaldson.Damage to the car’s left front bumper is estimated at $400, and damage to the Jacobsma bike is estimated at $85.Five children struck since last fallJacobsma is the fifth local child (four of them 8-year-olds) to be struck by vehicles in the past seven months.
On Oct. 8 last fall, Cole Walgrave, now 8, was struck while crossing the intersection of Main Street and Highway 75 on his inline skates.He suffered a fractured pelvis and missed nearly a week of school recovering from his injuries. He spent time in a wheelchair and then crutches before he could eventually walk without pain.Walgrave had crossed on a green light, and the driver of the car, Jesse Dean Lafrenz, was cited for failing to yield to a pedestrian.
On Jan. 22, Cole Eidem, then 5 years old, was struck by a pickup on North Highway 75 where he and his mother and aunt stopped on the shoulder of the road.They had forgotten a container of toys on top of the car, and when it fell to the ground north of Luverne, they stopped to pick up the contents.Eidem was struck when he stepped into the driving lane of a passing pickup to retrieve one of the toys.
On April 16, 8-year-old Andrea Woods, Luverne, was struck by a pickup while riding her bike at the intersection of Donaldson and Main streets.Sheriff Mike Winkels witnessed the accident, and said Woods was thrown 60 feet through the air by the impact. She was airlifted to Sioux Valley Hospital, but her injuries were determined to be non-life threatening, and she was back in school a few
On May 12, Chris DeGroot was struck by a 1994 Chevy Lumina driven by Thomas Schwarz, Bigelow. The accident happened in Magnolia shortly after Chris got off the bus and darted into the street to avoid a dog that was chasing him.Both bones in the lower part of his leg were broken, and he had multiple fractures in his foot. He spent several weeks in a wheelchair and in a cast.All the children have reportedly made full recoveries.