Boy involved in bicycle accident will have second surgery

A 13-year-old boy is recovering from serious injuries received while crossing Interstate 55 on a bicycle on Thursday when a sport utility vehicle struck him.

Dominique D. Maxwell, of 1135 S. Pacific St., will undergo a second surgery today at Saint Francis Medical Center to repair a fractured leg, his mother, Melinda Maxwell, said. The accident occurred Thursday around 9 p.m. on I-55, just south of mile marker 96, near Texas Roadhouse. He and a friend were crossing toward the west when a northbound sport utility vehicle, driven by Roy L. Reeves of 134 Apollo Court, Jackson, struck him from the left lane, said police officers. No charges are pending against the driver or the boy, even though it is illegal to ride a bicycle on the highway, said Cape Girardeau Police Department spokesman Jason Selzer.

Melinda Maxwell said that she heard about the accident when she got off work at 1 a.m. Dominique was coming out of surgery when Melinda arrived at the hospital at 2 a.m., she said, and he told her that he and the other boy were leaving the mall to ride to a nearby bike trail.

Dominique was out past his 8 p.m. curfew and was far from home, his mother said, so even though riding his bike is one of his favorite things to do, he won't be going anywhere for a while. "Even after his leg heals, she said.