Road rage incident leads to two arrests in Tualatin

From The City of Tualatin (emphasis mine):

“On Tuesday August 12, 2008 at 6:39pm, Tualatin Police and Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue responded to a report of an assault between 3 males on SW Boones Ferry Rd and SW Ibach Street. Several citizens called 911 reporting that 2 men, in a truck, were beating a man on a bicycle.

Some of these citizens actually followed the suspect vehicle as it left the city, heading towards Wilsonville and provided police with a description of the truck and license plate.

Investigation of the assault, conducted by the Tualatin Police Department, indicates that the victim, 33-year-old Uriel Perez Ortega of Beaverton, had been riding his bicycle On SW Boones Ferry Rd when the suspects, in a large pickup truck came up from behind and tried to intimidate Mr. Ortega.

A verbal exchange took place and eventually the passenger suspect, 19-year-old Armando Manning of Wilsonville, got out of the truck and threatened Mr. Ortega.. Feeling scared, Mr. Ortega punched Mr. Manning in the face, causing minor injury. The driver of the truck, 26-year-old Michael Pellissier, also of Wilsonville punched Mr. Ortega several times in the face and head area, causing facial injuries. Several citizens stopped to assist Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue in treating Mr. Ortega’s injuries.

Tualatin Police located and interviewed Mr. Manning and Mr. Pellissier. They were lodged at the Washington County Jail on Felony Assault charges; Reckless Driving and Criminal Mischief…”

More coverage of this story here.

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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RonC
RonC
15 years ago

What\’s the deal with people driving pick-up trucks anyway? At least 9 times out of 10, I\’d say its people driving or riding in pick-ups that are the ones shouting stupid insults, gunning motors, throwing things out the window, etc… Has anyone ever done a study on this? Does a truck actually empower people into thinking they are somehow immune to common courtesy, or is it simply one subset of truck-buyers that are already predisposed to that type of behavior?

I have to think this incident would have never happened had Mr. Manning and Mr. Pellissier also been riding bikes. I\’m a little surprised that Mr. Ortega wasn\’t cited as well, and I understand why Johnathan put this on page 2. Its a good reminder that it\’s smart to take an active role in AVOIDING confrontation if possible, rather than escalating it. After all, a bike rider can theoretically execute a u-turn much more quickly and effectively than a car or truck driver. (Unless you\’re riding a recumbent tandem!)

a.O
a.O
15 years ago

I also understand why Jonathan put this on Page 2, but this is the kind of thing – perhaps the most important thing – that keeps people off bikes. As such, I think it deserves more attention.

Anyway, I\’m not sure about the truck thing. I had a guy get out of a mini-van and beat up one of my clients, and I have heard multiple stories of run-ins with people in sedans.

And I definitely agree that \”this incident would never have happened had [those teenage criminals] also been riding bikes.\”

Adams Carroll (News Intern)
15 years ago

if it happened in Portland it would have been on the front page.

wsbob
15 years ago

This incident is also being discussed in the forums/general discussion section. Pictures of the two guys in the truck are posted there. Roughly judging by their mug shots, it would take a very sturdy bike to support either of them.

Unless they can beat the felony assault charge, it looks like they won\’t be needing to worry about driving or trying out a bike for awhile. I wonder if the judge in their trial could be persuaded to consider as part of their sentence, revoking their right to drive for 10 years or so after they get out, for having used their vehicle as a weapon.

Jimbo
Jimbo
15 years ago

RonC

I drive a 4WD pickup truck…have for years. It has enough hook-ups in the bed to transport 5 bikes upright. It has taken lots of riders to lots of races….many of them with no vehicle of their own. It has taken me through all parts of Oregon and roads in 10 other western states that you could only access with this type of vehicle. But hey, I have only started it up 3 times in the last 3 weeks. I don\’t need it that much, but when I do…I DO!! In fact, the neighbors use it more than I do in the summer time. We all have gardens and house projects. This truck has halled more yards of yard debri, organic composts, recycled house parts and what ever than you could imagine. In fact, two of my neighbors have keys to the truck and know that they can use it any time they want. They just leave the keys to their cars on my porch if they take mine.

So maybe I am that one in ten that does not shout out insults???? ..{unless those unruely neighbors of mine have been using my truck to harrass cyclists……..}

Please chill on the SUV and Pickup drivers…. Just had some moron in a Honda honk and yell at us the other day on Front AVE. But I am sure not 9 of 10 Honda drivers are that way. If fact, the most harrasment I have received while commuting has been folks in small cars…on their cell phones…reading their newspapers…eating their cereal…

Cheers…..

RonC
RonC
15 years ago

Jimbo

Sorry about the unintentional slight. I certainly didn\’t mean to infer that all (or even anywhere near a majority of) drivers of pickup trucks were social misfits or scofflaws. Far from it. I have friends with trucks that are some of the nicest people I know. And as you so eloquently pointed out, it\’s often useful to have a friend with a truck.

In the burb\’s, where I live and ride, it was simply my casual observation that more times than not it\’s some know-it-all in a pickup that provides the \’color commentary\’, buzz-by, or throttle racing black smoke-in-the-face experience which sullies an otherwise delightful ride. I\’m guessing abuse from car drivers is far more common in the city proper. And good for you for defending the honor of pickup truck owners (and lenders) everywhere. A tip of the helmet to you sir. You provide a valuable service for many a friend, friend-of-a-friend, and neighbor.

Matthew Denton
Matthew Denton
15 years ago

Maybe what we really need is a more obvious link to Page 2. A week goes by with no stories on it, so I don\’t even look, and then there are 4 stories on 2 days…

(Or maybe I should just subscribe the the RSS feed, but it is much easier to complain than actually do things myself. 🙂

Graham
Graham
15 years ago

Taking a cue from the from the \”Faces of Meth\” campaign, maybe we should have a \”Faces of Road Rage\”:

http://www.kptv.com/image/17178490/detail.html

I actually have a pang of sympathy for these guys. Life can be unkind to guys who look like that. Maybe being bullies in their big ol\’ truck is their way of getting revenge on the cruel, cruel world.

Then I remember the last time I saw a cyclist nearly hurt by a car with a hostile driver (yesterday!), and the sympathy flutters right away.

Give them a fair trial. Hear their side. If they did what they\’re accused of, lock \’em up, and throw away the (ignition) key.

(It takes effort not to wish violence on them – I\’ve deleted half the things I\’ve typed in writing this.)

fredlf
15 years ago

Graham #8, I think you\’ve gotta have sympathy for most everyone. Most things mitigate to make us feel powerless and no one is ignorant or brutal entirely by choice. Small wonder people are easily convinced to buy large powerful-feeling vehicles and then frustrated enough to assert them against others.

Not that sympathy is the same as excusing or allowing anti-social behavior, of course. People have to be held responsible, and I hope these two are, in no uncertain terms. Sympathy, I guess, is just what keeps things from devolving to us vs. them.

smootheddie
smootheddie
15 years ago

The Oregonian ran a small story about this on the 2nd page of the Metro(?) section today. I wonder why this didn\’t make the front page?

Zaphod
15 years ago

I, for one, am happier that this is 2nd page (both here & the Oregonian) as it paints cycling as a high risk activity.

Stephanie
Stephanie
13 years ago

Mr. Pellissier is my brother-in-law, and Mr. Manning (Now also Pellissier) is my hub. Neither of them are bad people. The cyclist deserved to go to jail for punching my epileptic boyfriend FIRST, when he didn’t instigate. He was yelling at a person jogging that he is friends with. So.