Injured cyclist looking for driver who hit him

Still from a KGW-TV video.

[Via KGW]

Sage Silver was hit by a left-turning car at about 10:00 pm while riding home from work along NE Alberta last Friday (2/22).

The driver stopped to make sure Silver was OK. Silver said he was fine, so the driver left the scene. But the next morning, Silver felt abdominal pains and checked himself into the Emergency Room.

Doctors at Legacy Emanuel informed Silver and his mother that he had internal bleeding in his spleen. Unfortunately, Silver has no health insurance, and he didn’t get any information from the driver.

He’s asking for help in finding the person who hit him. The only information I have is what I heard on the KGW video: the car is a white “larger American” style sedan with red interior.

If anyone has information, call the Portland Police non-emergency number at (503) 823-3333.

And, for future reference, check out this detailed checklist of what to do if you’ve been hit.

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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Ron
Ron
16 years ago

Best wishes to Sage.

It is worth repeating — if you are involved in ANY kind of accident, collision, etc, exchange information no matter how you or the other parties feel at the moment. If the other party refuses, offer to call for a police officer to perform mediation.

Adrenaline is an incredible substance whose purpose is to give you a substantial edge in survival. Take a deep breath and exchange the information.

a.O
a.O
16 years ago

Get well, Sage! And good luck.

Folks, please learn from this mistake: If someone in a car hits you, you\’ve got to call the cops and you\’ve got to make sure you\’re OK. The police need document what happened, and you must realize that the adreneline often keeps you from realizing that you\’re hurt. Go get an MRI (or whatever) and let the driver\’s insurer foot the bill.

toddistic
toddistic
16 years ago

Not suprising on Alberta, I\’ve had more close calls on that street than any other.

Robert Dobbs
Robert Dobbs
16 years ago

Sorry that he got hit, but can anyone please tell me why it\’s a good idea to ride down K-Worth, Alberta, Fremont, Hawthorne, etc?

Especially during rush hour?

I cringe every time I see a cyclist holding up a line of 20+ cars, just knowing that his/her life is in the hands of that one impatient driver…

nate
nate
16 years ago

Holy crap! Sage, hope you get well soon, man. Next time I see you, the beer\’s on me.

Robert Dobbs
Robert Dobbs
16 years ago

Erm… didn\’t notice this happened at 10pm – so uh, don\’t let my comments hijack this thread.

Here\’s to a speedy recovery!

a.O
a.O
16 years ago

@#4: Here we go again with the victim blame. I cringe every time I see this anti-cycling rhetoric. Get a clue.

toddistic
toddistic
16 years ago

Well Robert Dobbs, I ride Alberta home every rush hour, its relatively low speed traffic street. In order to get up on the hill and into NE is to take Williams. If you don\’t mind stopping every other block, there are plenty of residential streets but if you need to get across MLK – Alberta, Killingsworth and Ainsworth are your only real good options.

I prefer Alberta because the traffic speed is usually pretty slow during the evenings and typically enough street light. Plus there are always alot of bikes on that street so our presence is well know.

L
L
16 years ago

#7: Um, no, that\’s not anti-cycling rhetoric.

I cringe when I see someone riding down Hawthorne, Division, etc. sandwiched between parked and passing cars. They\’re what 2 or 3 blocks from a bike avenue on Clinton/Lincoln/Salmon?

Of course, they have the right to ride there but there\’s a better alternative 30 seconds out of the way.

Russell
Russell
16 years ago

To echo other peoples\’ statements make sure to get their information and that doesn\’t mean having them write it down. Ask for their insurance card and driver\’s license. Take down their full name, license #, address, policy number, and license plate. Also don\’t forget to get the phone number for their insurance agent and their personal phone number (ask for a business card if they look like they might carry one).

Best of luck on your recovery.

Dag
Dag
16 years ago

I wouldn\’t say it\’s anti-cycling to say that riding on a narrow, relatively-high-traffic street is dangerous. There are bad drivers out there, and using low-traffic streets is a good way to avoid most of them. Saying that is not saying that any crash on a major street the cyclist\’s fault, just that it\’s a good idea to try to avoid meeting murderously idiotic drivers. I almost always ride on Going street (a couple blocks south of Alberta) instead of Alberta because I\’ve nearly been hit several times riding on Alberta.

Robert Dobbs
Robert Dobbs
16 years ago

Way to heed my comments a.O. and avoid the mess. You are such a ****.

Anyhow, now that we\’re into it, I still maintain that it is extremely foolish and only asking for trouble to ride down narrow, highly-trafficked streets when there are safer alternatives. Not to mention all the anti-cyclist animosity it generates.

Personally, I think this happens because novice cyclists still navigate as if they were in their cars and take arterial/feeder streets as the traffic planners intended.

Antonio Gramsci
Antonio Gramsci
16 years ago

You know, I cringe everytime some ignoramus talks shit about cyclists using arterials to get places.

Get a clue. Cyclists use arterials to get places for the same reasons that motorists use arterials. Take your pick:

Arterials usually have controlled intersections with other arterials, making them MUCH SAFER.

Arterials are not interrupted by stop signs every block, making them MUCH MORE EXPEDIENT than most residential streets.

Arterials are usually CONTINUOUS, and don\’t suddenly dead end or take weird, unpredictable jogs, often dumping out into cul de sacs or deadending at freeway walls.

Arterials are usually PAVED, unlike MANY residential streets in Portland.

Arterials don\’t require TIMECONSUMING ROUTEFINDING RESEARCH to find one\’s way successfully, unlike residential streets.

Arterials are usually MARKED ON ALL READILY AVAILABLE MAPS, unlike most residential streets.

Should I go on?

If you don\’t use a bicycle as your principal mode of transportation, feel free to shun arterials the rest of your life.

If you don\’t mind playing a perilous game of chicken at every uncontrolled intersection with another arterial, feel free to shun all travel along arterials.

If you don\’t have any place you need to get to on time, feel free to take residential streets everywhere and vow never to ride on an arterial.

If you have unlimited time to spend on routefinding, feel free to shun arterials all your life.

If you want a pretext for letting careless and reckless motorists off the hook for strict liability for the safe operation of their machinery, feel free to give safe and disciplined cyclists shit for using arterials when they get hit by the former.

Jim O'Horo
Jim O'Horo
16 years ago

YOW!! Sage, I\’m glad you\’re still alive & going to get better. Spleen injury can be really tricky. The spleen tears very easily. You can take a hit & not have it rupture at the time, but it\’s damaged and just a wrong move before it\’s healed & regained its strength will cause a tear. The internal bleeding can send you into shock and kill you in a hurry. Get well soon.

RE: riding on Alberta. I volunteer down @ CCC a lot & agree it\’s pretty crazy at rush hour – I\’d go south to Skidmore or north to Ainsworth. After rush hour it\’s not so bad though – often if it\’s late & I\’m taking the bus home I ride from 17th over to MLK. Never had a problem with that.

Robert Dobbs
Robert Dobbs
16 years ago

@13

I\’m with you on that, I usually cross MLK @ Skidmore and ride as far East as I need, then cut North on a side street if I\’m heading to that \’hood.

Alberta can get really nuts during rush hour, I have no idea why anyone would want to ride down it.

BURR
BURR
16 years ago

@ #9: There are many reasons to ride on arterial streets, and last time I checked all local streets including arterials are open to cyclists. You may not feel comfortable doing it, and that\’s certainly your choice; but you really should refrain from criticizing others who do it.

Matthew
Matthew
16 years ago

I ride Alberta at rush hour, (and non-rush hour,) and I know the alternatives too…

Alberta is faster.

Of course, I\’m a nut that stops at stop signs, so arterials are always faster for me than the alternatives…

Robert Dobbs
Robert Dobbs
16 years ago

@15

I believe can ride in the traffic lanes on most of the bridges too. Doesn\’t make it a good idea.

It only makes sense to ride on a busy arterial if you can keep pace with traffic. I\’d wager that the cyclist commuter cruising at 30-35 mph on flatland is the exception.

In the meantime you\’re holding up traffic, wasting a huge amount of other road users\’ time and gas, and put your life (and others\’) at risk with inpatient motorists.

The \”fvck it, they can wait – I don\’t want to hit any stop signs\” attitude is extremely selfish, and I have no problem calling that one on its face. We\’re talking about going a block or two out of the way to avoid congested streets during rush hour.

Ayleen
Ayleen
16 years ago

There are some barriers to riding the residential streets around there, like the fact that streets on the north side of Alberta don\’t go through from 13th to 14th and the gravel death pits (fun on a chopper, not on a road bike) around 25th on the south side.

With all those little shops, restaurants, burrito joints and cafes to peruse, Alberta shouldn\’t be a drive-down street. We need more bikes on Alberta so we can remind drivers of our presence. There\’s certainly enough reason to be there and ample bike parking, to boot.

Speaking of burrito joints, special major shout out to DON PONCHO at 20th and Alberta for not only being super friendly and tasty since the day they opened, but also for helping out in a pinch on the Worst Day of the Year Ride when one of our burners wouldn\’t work and we needed to heat massive amounts of hot water. They graciously opened their kitchen to us.

Donald
Donald
16 years ago

Hmmmmmm…

We\’re all traffic, aren\’t we?

bahueh
bahueh
16 years ago

I\’m with Robert on this one..I have a hard time seeing all the riders on Hawthorne that choose to ride down it during rush hour…simply because they think the law will protect them…they\’re wrong and their actions do nothing but inflame an already hostile situation. if you can\’t do the speed limit on a bike down busy arterials(most cannot)with no bike lane, its not a good idea to be there, whether they think so or not.
its hardly blaming the victim, A.O., that is common sense no one appears to be teaching them..

Grimm
Grimm
16 years ago

Get well soon. Hopefully you could get lucky and the driver will find this and come forward.

I almost got taken out by a driver not yielding to me yesterday myself (right turn has the right of way you son of … !). It amazes me drivers dont see us as traffic, if I was in my car I bet he would have either yielded of at least sped up (we saw each other well before the intersection) to go through it before me.

Robert Dobbs
Robert Dobbs
16 years ago

@18

Yeah, maybe some traffic is more equal than others, eh?

I don\’t feel that I have the moral right to hold up a huge line of cars during rush hour just because I have the legal right to travel on that roadway at any time.

I have options that don\’t impede the enjoyment of efficiency of my trip and I take them. Besides, riding in heavy traffic tends to suck.

rev
16 years ago

heal up quick sage.

Patrick
Patrick
16 years ago

Any car driver knows Never take Alberta if you are in a hurry. Alberta has lots of buses, walkers, skateboarders, kids, and bicyclists. It\’s a very hard street to drive on.

toddistic
toddistic
16 years ago

FWIW, traffic at 5:30pm on Alberta barely approaches 30mph, a good pace and I\’m right in pace with the cars. If there\’s a bus in the equation I am passing cars. I\’d prefer Alberta to Killingsworth and definately Ainsworth where speeds are usually closer to 40MPH.

a.O
a.O
16 years ago

It\’s always impotent name-calling and empty threats with you Dobbs. I guess that\’s what people do when they can\’t hold their own intellectually.

We\’ll ride where we want – you worry about yourself!

Spanky
Spanky
16 years ago

I drive Hawthorne every day and don\’t begrudge cyclists the right to use Hawthorne for a moment. Sure it might mean I have to hold back to give them room (upper Hawthorne – no bike lane) but big fizz. So my car commute might take a bit longer. I might have to wait for that right or left turn to be doubly sure I am not going to take out a ped or cyclist. So what?

The Golden Rule: treat others as you wish them to treat you. Commentary about where it is or is not safe to ride a bike on a city street doesn\’t reach the point that we all owe one another common courtesy and decency.

Best wishes to Sage.

Dag
Dag
16 years ago

On Alberta the problem for me has generally been cars impatient to cross rather than unsafe passes or right hooks.

In any case, y\’all are welcome to take cycling risks as you see fit, but I prefer to be having fun if I\’m going to be risking life and limb, and riding in car traffic doesn\’t qualify.

Me 2
Me 2
16 years ago

Get well Sage, I\’m of two minds on riding major streets. I cringe when I see some cyclists going down SE 39th. However, I ride a portion of NE Fremont (between NE 21 and 14th) on my morning commute. I can time it so I\’m not holding up traffic. In 2.5 years I\’ve never been passed by more than 2 cars on this stretch.

Sometimes it is unavoidable to use major streets. Please don\’t get me started on NE Knott or some other residential street with a stop sign every other block. I have lots of first hand experience why these streets are more dangerous for me during my daily commute. Here\’s hoping for a nice bike boulvard in this area of NE.

Me 2
Me 2
16 years ago

One more thing to add. Since this is top of mind for many on this board. Here is a great post on what to do if you\’re in an accident.

http://bikeportland.org/2006/01/12/what-to-do-if-youve-been-hit/

chelsea
chelsea
16 years ago

i sometimes ride alberta, at least for sections. usually traffic is not too much faster than me. expecting cyclists to only use specified bike routes is like expecting motorists to only use freeways. it is not always going to be practical. hope you get well soon!

Antonio Gramsci
Antonio Gramsci
16 years ago

The truth is that anyone who lives in Amsterdam or Copenhagen could take one look at the death and injury statistics on US roads and conclude instantly that \”Anyone who rides a bike anywhere in the US is a fool\” (or for that matter, anyone who drives a car). So what does it tell us? That we should cower in the corner and/or get our visas in order ASAP?

Maybe. But another way to look at is, we should work for change, starting right now. And we should ride anywhere and everywhere that it is expedient and legal
to do so, because cowering or running away won\’t change things, but INCREASING RIDERSHIP AND VISIBILITY OF RIDERS WILL. THAT IS A PROVEN FACT.

a.O
a.O
16 years ago

@#33: Ditto!

Antonio Gramsci
Antonio Gramsci
16 years ago

bahueh \”I have a hard time seeing all the riders on Hawthorne that choose to ride down it during rush hour…simply because they think the law will protect them…\” (21)

How long have you lived in Portland??

Are you aware that Hawthorne just happens to be the biggest connecting route between the east and west sides of this city??

Are you suggesting that we should ride the bus across the Hawthorne Bridge?

Or are you saying that we should take a lengthy detour as soon as we\’re across the bridge, down the Springwater trail or something, even if our destination is either right on or close to Hawthorne??

Do you actually ride a bike daily for transportation in this city???

Matthew
Matthew
16 years ago

I\’m not holding up traffic on Alberta at rush hour, a lot of the time I\’m being held up by it. And I\’m not going that fast, 15-20 mph when I\’m moving. The speed limit is 30 mph, but the cars don\’t (can\’t) do that at rush hour, there is simply too much traffic.

The only good argument I\’ve heard against riding on Alberta is that it tends to have a lot of staples on it.

Duncan
Duncan
16 years ago

Comparing Hawthorne to Alberta is apples and oranges: Hawtorne (Lower) is 2 lanes each way with an average car speed of 30 + MPH. The good for cycling: wide lanes, downhill (if your headed west). I can stay to the right and cars can pass me, and headed downhill I can usually keep up with traffic. The Bad: the speed can be higher in the evening and early morning, and the uphill: heading east I usually dogleg through Ladds because I can keep my speed up and head up Lincoln 20 30th-ish. Alberta is narrow, passing cars can be close, but the speeds are slower and its flat (more or less), I can usually keep up with traffic on it during the day. The bad: late night drunk hipsters (on cars and bikes), the buss stopping in the middle of the street (gotta keep an eye out for that!), some large cracks in the road that could eat a tire.

Of the two I prefer Alberta because the traffic speed in my exp tends to be closer to what I can keep up with. Although the only part of Hawthorne that I think really sucks is trying to get onto Madison on 12th from Hawthorne.

wsbob
wsbob
16 years ago

\”..INCREASING RIDERSHIP…\” Antonio Gramsci

I think it\’s right that increasing ridership will bring about change. Increasing ridership equals increasing ownership. This is the less traumatic relative of critical mass.

Dabby
Dabby
16 years ago

Increasing ridership too much without first implementing change will result in more problems, and more deaths.

It is a irresponsible act to attempt to increase ridership when it is impossible to protect either physically or through proper enforcement those you are encouraging to ride.

Antonio Gramsci
Antonio Gramsci
16 years ago

Dabby:
My remarks were not aimed generically at \”encouraging [novice] riders,\” but rather were a response to those who question the route choices that experienced riders make when they choose arterials.

In my experience, novice riders very rarely dare to ride arterials. It is something that only experienced riders tend to do, after developing far greater confidence handling traffic than the novice usually has.

Duncan
Duncan
16 years ago

i dont encourage anyone to ride, I just ride where I need to go. I try and replace all my two mile car trips with a bike, and as many longer trips as is practical. I dont consider this activism, i call it \”living\” and if someone sees me having fun riding, and decides to ride some too- hey that is great. I think that the rules will only change if their are more riders, not the other way round- either way I am not sitting at home holding my breath for things to chage.

Biking isn\’t safe, but neither is taking a shower, and I do that too. In the course of biking, I may ride on an arterial, I might take a lane if I need it.

BURR
BURR
16 years ago

Hawthorne is a designated bike route in the city\’s master plan and cyclists got screwed by the Hawthorne Blvd. Business Association when the city developed the Hawthorne Plan and failed to include adequate provisions for cyclists on the street. A bike lane in the eastbound uphill/climbing direction from SE 12th to SE 30th would have been sufficient. As it stands now, cyclists are legally allowed to take the lane on Hawthorne, regardless of their speed, because the substandard width lanes are too narrow for a motor vehicle and a cyclist to safely share (ORS 814.430(2)(c)).

Duncan
Duncan
16 years ago

Thanks for the info BURR- I have no issues with cars passing in my lane on Hawthorne… isnt it also true that they are allowed to because there are two lanes?

Laws laws laws… makes my head hurt…

a.O
a.O
16 years ago

As it stands now, cyclists are legally allowed to take the lane on Hawthorne, regardless of their speed, because the substandard width lanes are too narrow for a motor vehicle and a cyclist to safely share (ORS 814.430(2)(c)).

That\’s correct, BURR.

I find it apalling that, even among so-called bicyclists, we can\’t even get people to respect our legal right to use the roads. You people ought to be ashamed of yourselves – you\’re the biking equivalent of the ragin\’ cager. You should get the hell out of my city and move somewhere where the bikes stay on the sidewalks and the cars do as they please, because that\’s not Portland. And to the extent it is, CHANGE IS COMING – you\’ll see.

Boo Hoo
Boo Hoo
16 years ago

Wow, talk about empty threats, a.O.

Now how many cyclists actually adhere to the laws that they expect drivers to?

I suspect cyclists actually commit more infractions on a per mile basis than autos do. Please go to Mississippi and Shaver and tell me what you see.

If you run a red light, this is what happens. Why do I think everybody here would still blame the driver?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-biker_fatal_26feb26,1,4838350.story

Joe
Joe
16 years ago

That seems to be the on going issue these days, cars want to push the speed and never really respect a cyclists speed.

hello media this is the problem: always has
been. Im a moving abject also

Joe

rixtir
rixtir
16 years ago

I\’m appalled that we live in a society where, despite it\’s great wealth, it\’s considered acceptable– normal even– for people to not have health insurance.

Matthew
16 years ago

Response to R. Dobbs (#4):

I don\’t get your logic; riding an arterial at rush hour holds up traffic? These arterials (Freemont, Alberta, etc.) are super slow during rush hour…it\’s the cars that slow US down!

I also would caution against being to ready to give up some of your rights; you may miss them when they are gone!

I ride Freemont almost every morning on the way to work. I\’ve had some close calls (usually due to a speeding or careless motorist; but that is another issue), but choose to ride this street rather than the arterials due to many of the reasons stated by Antonio (well stated by the way…)in #13. We, as cyclists have every right to use these roads. I urge everyone to exercise these rights and ride wherever you are legally able.

wsbob
wsbob
16 years ago

\”It is a irresponsible act to attempt to increase ridership…\” Dabby

It might be an irresponsible act if people were to deliberately increase ridership as a means of appling pressure for improvements to a specific locale. When an increase occurs naturally, out of a growing, enthusiastic interest in cycling as alternative transportation to motor vehicle travel, as it seems to have been happening, I would say it\’s not irresponsible.

My thought is that more than anything else, the visible fact of greater numbers of cyclists on any particular street or road in need of improved or expanded provision for bike travel, is the condition that will prompt action to bring about those changes most quickly.

dano
dano
16 years ago

I\’d really like to see more east/west bike streets (think Ankeny) in this town. You don\’t see very many people riding up Burnside or Stark because they\’re all on ankeny. Maybe if they blocked through traffic to cars on a street like Skidmore at MLK, 15th, etc we\’d see less incidents like this.
Is anyone working on this?

Also, so that half of you will ignore the rest of this post, it really drives me nuts to see people riding they\’re bikes on MLK. I know they\’ve got a right to be there and I often follow them at their speed, blocking people from passing them when its tight. But man, it sure seems like it wastes alot of gas along with any goodwill, when there\’s Vancouver and Williams a few blocks over. Shoot, Garfield, one block over, is great for a long stretch.

Anyhow, speedy recovery.