NCN911: City worker hospitalized after motorcycle strikes bear

Accident Sunday on U.S. 101 near Jefferson County line also sends passenger to Harborview in Seattle and injures another man.

A longtime Ocean Shores city employee was among two men who were injured Sunday afternoon when their motorcycles encountered a bear on U.S. Highway 101 at milepost 143 just south of the Jefferson County line.

According to a State Patrol report, Michael J. Cowan, 60, of Hoquiam, was heading northbound on his 2012 Harley Davidson FLSTC with a 21-year-old passenger from Aberdeen when a bear attempted to cross the roadway ahead of them. Cowan’s bike, which was towing a white Kompak camper trailer, collided with the bear, ejecting both riders from the bike.

Robert J. Matthews, 64, also of Hoquiam, was behind Cowan’s bike at the time of the accident and lost control of his 2002 Harley Davidson FLHT trying to avoid the accident and was thrown from the bike.Both men were airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The passenger was uninjured. Both motorcycles were totaled. The roadway was partially blocked for more than three hours.

Cowan has been a city of Ocean Shores employee for 20-plus years. He currently is a collection system supervisor in the water treatment plant. Cowan’s supervisor, Marshall Reed, on Tuesday said Cowan was in an induced coma at Harborview for more surgery and was in a stable condition. His wife is with him in Seattle.

“Mike has been my right-hand man for 22 years now,” Reed said. “If there is anyone who could have avoided an accident like that, it was him. He rides that bike all the time.”

“The guys who were riding with him said that bear came down off the hill, made two hops and was right in front of Mike,” Reed said of reports about the accident.

Reed described Cowan as a “longtime Harborite” who graduated from Hoquiam High School and was a well-known member of the community: “He’s one of those guys where if someone doesn’t have a shirt on his back, he’s the first one to donate his. He’s always been a very giving person, so when it comes to helping him out, I think the community is going to rally behind him.”

Ocean Shores Police calls

Aug. 10

• Assist Department of Corrections with subject wanted on a warrant at 9:11 a.m. in the 700 block of Cardinal Ave.

• Fraudulent use of debit card reported at 10 a.m. in the 100 block of Polaris Blvd. SW.

• Theft of firewood reported at 12:11 p.m. in the 800 block of San Antonio Ct. NE.

• Theft of skateboards reported at 1:38 p.m. in the 100 block of W. Chance a la Mer St. NW.

• Code enforcement violation/camping permit issue in the 500 block of E. Chance a la Mer St. NE at 2:21 p.m.

• Warrant arrest in the 700 block of Cardinal Ave. NE at 11:54 p.m.

• Illegal burn at 8:39 p.m. on Ocean Ct. NW.

Aug. 11

• Warrant service/arrest in the 199 block of Sand Dune Ave. NW at 10:22 a.m.

• Shoplifting arrest at 11:56 a.m. in the 100 block of E. Chance a la Mer St. NE.

• Code enforcement violation at 1:16 p.m. at Lake View Loop and Duck Lake Dr. NE.

• Deer vs. vehicle accident/blocking in the 800 block of Pt. Brown Ave. NW at 2:09 p.m.

• Weapons violation/report of male walking with pistol in the 600 block of Ocean Shores. Blvd. NW at 2:49 p.m.

• Wildlife problem/deer with rope caught in antlers at 6:14 p.m. on Marine View Dr. SW at S. Sand Dune Ave.

• Wildlife problem/black bear and cus seen in the 100 block of Taholah St. NE at 7:34 p.m.

• Illegal burn at 8:10 p.m. in the 800 block of Hassalo Ave. SE.

• Warrant arrest/bicycle infraction in the 100 block of E. Chance a la Mer St. NE at 10:01 p.m.

• Disorderly conduct at 10:27 p.m. in the 600 block of Ocean Shores Blvd. NW.

• Camping violaiton in the parking lot near Convention Center at 11:43 p.m.