POULSBO — A cyclist was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center after her bicycle collided with a Kitsap Transit bus on Highway 305 and Totten Road, May 7.

“It was one of our larger coaches, one that operates between Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island,” said John Clauson, executive director of Kitsap Transit.

Washington State Patrol, Poulsbo Police, Suquamish Police and the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene—approximately 1.5 miles south of Poulsbo—shortly after 6:30 a.m. The cyclist, a 63-year-old Bainbridge Island woman, was transported by the Poulsbo Fire Department to the Bainbridge Island Fire Department where she was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

The cyclist is in critical condition and in surgery at time of this posting. She will be transferred to Harborview’s intensive care unit after surgery.

Troopers with the Washington State Patrol are investigating.

Initial reports from the Washington State Patrol state that both the cyclist and the bus were traveling northbound on Highway 305. The cyclist attempted to turn left, crossing traffic, onto Lemolo Shore Drive and collided with the side of the bus as it passed her.

The bus had no passengers on board at the time of the accident. The bus driver, a 52-year-old Bremerton man, was not injured.

Kitsap Transit has begun its own investigation into the collision, as well. The investigation is part of Kitsap Transit’s procedure when such accidents occur. Supervisors are immediately dispatched to the scene to take photographs and interview the driver.

“The operators are taken in for drug and alcohol testing,” Clauson said. “They are then required to sit down and fill out an accident report.”

The bus was driven from the scene. Troopers inspected the vehicle and cleared it for use within hours of the collision.