Two bicycle crashes at separate locations south and west of Powell were reported within a minute of each other just before 9:30 a.m. Friday.

In one of the incidents, two bicyclists ran into one another at 1403 Lane 14. At about the same time, a cyclist was injured when his bike collided with a car on U.S. Highway 14-A near the intersection with the Badger Basin Highway (Wyo. Highway 294).

The two calls came into the Powell Volunteer Fire Department at 9:23 and 9:24 a.m. Friday.

The bicyclist on U.S. Highway 14-A was identified by Wyoming Highway Patrol Lt. Phil Farman as 86-year-old Melvin Davey of Powell.

Farman said Davey was headed toward Cody on U.S. 14-A and turned back toward Powell at the Badger Basin Highway intersection. Davey failed to yield and was struck by the Chevy Prizm driven by Malissa Gifford of Cody, Farman reported.

Gifford said she was driving north in the right-hand lane of 14-A when she saw Davey on her left, heading north as well. Gifford said she thought he might be going into the turning lane, but he continued moving toward her vehicle. She then thought he might move toward the right shoulder behind her, but he cut in front of her instead, she said.

Gifford said she already had slowed, and she hit the brakes hard when Davey cut in front of her. That was evidenced by the long streaks of rubber the car’s tires laid on the highway as her vehicle came to an abrupt halt.

“I braked hard, but not fast enough” to avoid hitting the bicyclist, said Gifford, who appeared distressed.

According to the emergency dispatch call, the bicyclist suffered a compound fracture.

Davey was transported to Powell Valley Hospital, where he was admitted. He was in stable condition on Friday afternoon, according to Jim Cannon, spokesman for Powell Valley Healthcare.  

Davey was wearing a helmet and was cited for failing to yield when making a U-turn, Farman said.

At about the same time, the Park County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Lane 14 bicycle collision.

One of the cyclists involved broke his collarbone, but that was all the information the Sheriff’s Office had. No report was required, because the collision of two bicycles was not classified as a motor vehicle crash, said Lance Mathess, Park County Sheriff's Office public affairs officer.

The Powell Volunteer Fire Department and ambulance crews from Powell Valley Healthcare responded to both scenes.