UPDATE: KATU TV has confirmed that both the driver, Mark Grover, and the cyclist, Dawn Slawta were intoxicated at the time of the crash. Grover has been charged with DUII and sent to jail and Slawta remains in serious condition at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in North Portland. Full story here.
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Early reports indicate that alcohol was a factor for both the bicyclist and the motorist in a nearly fatal crash just after midnight last night in Northeast:
From The Portland Mercury:
“At 12:11 am, Northeast Precinct officers were called to a serious injury collision at NE 15th Ave. and NE Skidmore. Officers arrived and learned that a 24-year-old female riding a bicycle appears to have collided with a 44-year-old male driving a vehicle through the intersection. She was transported to Emanuel Hospital after having sustained serious and possibly life threatening injuries.
Due to the serious nature of the injuries, officers have called out the Traffic Division Fatal Team to conduct an investigation. Officers told me that it appears that the consumption of alcohol by both drivers will be a factor in this collision. “
KATU-TV has video with their story.
This unfortunately comes less than a week after a fatal crash in Southeast Portland.
I’ll try and update with developments as they come in.
Thanks for reading.
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If this is a direct quote:
“Officers arrived and learned that a 24-year-old female riding a bicycle appears to have collided with a 44-year-old male driving a vehicle through the intersection.”
… then it’s a mess. Bicycles are vehicles as well. It’s this sort of compartmentalizing (bicycles, as opposed to vehicles) that simply doesn’t help matters. Let’s make sure that we help reporters get clear on the important details.
I’m confused…
Are you suggesting that they not mention the rather significant detail of her being on a bike?
A story about a fatality where both the the cyclist and the motorist might have been trashed and the first comment is semantic nitpicking?
The nerve of Jonathan to name his site bikeportland.org when it should clearly be vehicleportland.org.
I think Beth is just airing her concern about the power of language and how it contributes to people’s perception of bicycles as a serious, viable mode of transport.
Bicycles are always “ridden” when cars are “driven.” To me, “riding” makes it sound like a recreational pastime and perhaps somehow less deserving of rights.
Would perceptions change if we co-opted the dominant paradigm and started always saying, “I drive my bike to work.”
And kyle, what do you mean by your “vehicleportland.org” comment?…
So who ran the stop sign? Who had the right of way? Was the motor vehicle doing more than speed limit?
Skidmore is a city “bikeway”…we do not have true boulevards here…and 15th is a arterial. The great downside of bikeways is at crossings such as this; most have no lights, no signs, no nothing.
Regardless, we need to figure out how to stop the slaughter. For a start…
1. no more waste of police resources on bicyclists running stop signs.
2. more enforcement on lights on bikes.
3. police bike patrols on major bike routes to watch for speeding, red light running, hard drinking, and otherwise dangerous motor vehicles.
4. a campaign that praises bicyclists for being on the front lines in the fight against global warming, dependence on mideast oil, and for cleaner air and water, etc. “Thank a bicyclist!”
As for bicyclists paying their fair share? We already pay too much in blood.
Riding is animistic, driving is churlish. The politics of language are important, but let’s not go to the dark side here to supplant anyone’s associations. Besides, it would be uneconomical, and divisive, to have to qualify one’s use of the word to drive after it has lost its specificity.
I think that if you lock your elbows, you can say you drive your bike, but other than that, we should stick with what is clearly superior.
I agree with co-opting the paradigm.
Drive (v) – 1. To propel, push, force, or press onward. 5.a. To control, guide, and direct (a vehicle). b. To operate or be conveyed in a vehicle. 6. To supply the motivating force to: spur.
Notice the verb is “active”, not “passive”. Compare with:
Ride (v) – 1. To be conveyed in a vehicle or on an animal. 4. To sit on… 5. To be carried upon…
Ride is predominantly a passive verb. We both provide all of the motive force for our vehicles and directly control the direction and velocity of our movement. Motorists for the most part don’t do that. At best, they directly control direction and stopping, if they don’t have power-assist.
Cyclists are also more active in that they are much more aware of (and able to react to) their surroundings.
Still We Ride.
Lenny!!! your comments are as inspirational as semantic complaining is deflating. How can we move forward as a community on these ideas?
Even our patron saint of communication has a hard time getting the PoPo to do anything constructive even though he spends many hours explaining reality to them. Also, how is that City Program about being seen at night working? Have not seen many results from that PR effort – maybe sam adams could report to us on the success of his efforts?
So, ride/drive – whatever, let’s promote the 4 prong agenda put forth. As a reminder:
1. no more waste of police resources on bicyclists running stop signs.
2. more enforcement on lights on bikes/more free lights that actually work for everyone who needs one.
3. police bike patrols on major bike routes to watch for speeding, red light running, hard drinking, and otherwise dangerous motor vehicles.
4. a campaign that praises bicyclists for being on the front lines in the fight against global warming, dependence on mideast oil, and for cleaner air and water, etc. “Thank a bicyclist!”
They’ve updated the story on KATU:
http://www.katu.com/news/5688056.html
The photo on that page, and part of the video is not at 15th and Skidmore, however. All the footage with police cars is from somewhere else- with one way streets and multi-story brick businesses, neither of which describes 15th and Prescott. I sent a message to KATU about the error an hour or so ago…
My high school philosophy teacher rolled his eyes in comments when I opened an essay with a Webster’s citation. The rest of the paper was fine but I learned an important lesson about the bottleneck effect, and how it only gets worse by further cherry-picking those definitions to build an argument.
Driving is active?–but cattle are driven. Machinery is driven. The enemy is driven. Stupid me for majoring in biology, or just not being militant enough, but that is much too mechanized an aesthetic for my tastes.
Is this girl going to pull through alright? I know it’s insensitive to distract the thread for some pseudointellectual pontification, especially when it sidelines in a way the very organic relationships that make ride the superior verb. I hope she comes out alright, but I have to finish my argument now.
Ride a wave, hell, ride THE wave. Ride the market, if that’s your kick. Energy is eternal delight, and it’s free for the taking. No need to be an ox driver here, when there is so much potential to take advantage of.
i came across this article looking for information about this crash. the bicyclist in question is a close friend, and though i thoroughly appreciate some of the ideas being put forth, i don’t think responding to a blog about a bicyclist almost dying is going to change a damn thing. this person is a very passionate cyclist, and i know she would love to make a lot of the changes being brought up. so please, go out and make a difference. but here? a little more focus on positive thinking in regards to her LIFE would be pretty excellent. best of luck to all in your quest for healthier bicycling. but as for dawn, best of luck making it back to life. i love you.
The bicyclist has the stop at that intersection. It’s kind of a scary spot, as just north of the accident 15th curves a bit at the intersection with Prescott. If the rider was westbound, it’s pretty much a blind corner. I’ve always thought this was a bad place for a bike route to get accross 15th – two blocks north is NE Going which has greater visibility.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=ne%20skidmore%20and%20ne%2015th%2C%20portland%2C%20or&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&sa=N&tab=wl
Jonathan – it was joke. A play on the bike vehicle thing.
Looks like the, erm, motorist was officially and rightly charged.
From KATU.com: Investigators believe alcohol consumption played a role in the crash. Other factors included the fact that Slawta was not wearing a helmet or riding with a bike light and was wearing dark clothing, police said.
I’m sorry, but wtf. It actually upsets me that she isn’t being charged with anything at this time because it’s evident that both are negligent in this accident. At the very least she should be charged with stupidity. She was asking to be hit or at the very least, something bad to happen with that combination of factors. Before you label me as someone who doesn’t care about bicyclists, I do care. I care about those who ride responsibly and within the law. I’m posting here because this story got me all worked up and so I had to get my two cents in here.
“Driving is active?–but cattle are driven. Machinery is driven. The enemy is driven”
Yes, and there you’ve changed the word, and the meaning. “Drive” vs. “ride”, not “driven” vs. “ridden”, where both words are passive for the object of the sentence.
The meaning of words *IS* important. Words shape our thoughts, and are attached to concepts, and those concepts influence people who operate large and dangerous vehicles that can kill if not handled with care.
jay – No offense intended, people here are going to make comments of all kinds. I hope to God that Dawn is ok and recovers quickly, and that this incident doesn’t become a serious burden for her or those she loves. Ditto for the driver – people make mistakes and screw up. I hope that everyone is able to recover from this, take responsibility for whatever they did (and shouldn’t have), make amends if necessary, and move on.
Not to play the blame game before all the details have been heard, but…
From what I read the bicyclist was headed west on skidmore and the driver south on 15th. Both persons were headed down a hill but it was the bicyclist that ran the stop sign at 15th. It was reported that exess speed wasn’t an issue. It also seems that the bicyclist wasn’t wearing a helmet and more importantly didn’t have front or rear lights.
Please, please get some lights people. I see riders every night on the way home without them, and yet unseen riders are the number one cause of car/bike accidents, am I right?
on another spookier note, I was crossing 15th at the aformentioned Going St at almost this exact time last night. Shudder.
my fingers are extra-crossed for this cyclist, no matter how dire it sounds.
i don’t see any mention of which vehicle ran a stop sign, which seems likely at an intersection. the police and reporters are either protecting the driver or the cyclist by not mentioning who had a stop sign. i’m interested in which it was.
oh, i just read g.a.’s comment.
One of the beauties of bikes is that they seem to transfer through a variety of demographic and social groups. That is what makes having a “unified image” so challenging at times too.
If the bike community at large is asking the general public for respect, than I think policing ourselves (as individuals)is a good place to start. Instead of looking outward for the solution to safely how about we look within our own community? Instead of using this event as another bicycles vs. motorist soapbox match…can we talk about viable ways to encourage others on bikes to act responsibly–with their own lives, but also the image of our community?
It is tragic to see a young and avid bike rider seriously injured…especially since she could have done more to protect herself.
I am hoping others will use the emotions they may be feeling from the past weeks tragedies to fuel their OWN responsible riding: sober, visible and with protection by way of a helmet.
I believe the small actions of many can change a culture. It seems to me that putting our energy within our own community is a logical place for that change to begin.
Furthermore, having read the posts of people attacking the opinions of others on this site I just want to ask that others don’t read into this comment beyond what I have written here. And most importantly please, I’m not asking you to start shouting at others to “get some lights!”, or “wear a helmet!” as you pass by them on Clinton Street.
I’m talking about leading by example and supporting it by making that example accessible to follow. Carry an extra light for friends that don’t have one and offer to walk drunk friends home.
Of course there is so much more that could be done, but this is the least I think we should all be doing for ourselves.
G.A. Post #17,
46% of all cycling fatalities occur at night; only 8% of those riders killed at night had lights.
A cyclist runs a stop sign and is nearly killed, and two people draw the conclusion that the number one safety concern in Portland should be: “no more waste of police resources on bicyclists running stop signs”?
Fascinating.
Being of the bright clothing, lights flashing, and sign and red light stopping bike propeller, more times have come and gone where being hit by a car was only avoided by my being alert and defensive. I can’t imagine that without just one of these practices, and/or using lights, my percentages of getting creamed goes up tenfold. Especially since I ride to and from work in the dark.
Best wishes for Dawn’s recovery. It sounds like it might be a long haul, so my thoughts are with her and her support network.
Two bad crashes in one week. I hope that we don’t have to see another one any time soon. So everyone, LIGHTS! REFLECTORS! BRIGHT CLOTHING! Replace your batteries well before they’re dead (LEDs die a slow, dim death). And no matter what, ride as if the drivers can’t see you after dark — many aren’t looking for bikes. When and if you drive, take it slowly and carefully (or nag the driver to do so if you’re a passenger). We’re all responsible for making our roads safe.
Even if she was riding at night in dark clothing without lights or a helmet, and she ran a red light, my heart still goes out to her. It’s really painful to have a conflict with an automobile, and I do hope she pulls through OK and is able to tell about her experience later.
And for everybody:
Wear your helmets. If you don’t like the one you own, trade it in on a more stylish one. Go for the “multi-sport” ones that provide full neck coverage, if you want a different look. But, wear a helmet. Please. I know they’ve saved my life at least once, and that’s all it takes to make them worthwhile.
Use front and rear bike lights. My buddy and I have had a decade-long debate about which is more critical — a front or a rear light. After missing a turn on a Class 1 facility (off-street bike path) late one night, I’ve always maintained that the front light is most important. But this is a hobbesian choice. Obtain and use both lights at night.
As for running stop signs, if you’re going to do it, please, look both ways, slow down enough such that you *can* stop at the last minute if you have to, and don’t *ever* make the operator of another vehicle have to brake to avoid colliding with you. They might not. That could be bad.
Hopeful thoughts for Dawn.
Agreed on the lights, and if you can afford it, mount lights on the sides of your bike facing to the side (or those cool spoke lights, or something). I’ve had a couple instances this year where I was almost hit because the motorist was not in the arc to see either my front or rear light. (one of those I was wearing my reflective vest and one I was not)
I also second DK’s comment – in both my instances, I avoided the crash because I was completely aware of the car in question and ready for it to not stop. The second instance I referred to above was at Sunnybrook and the I-205 bike path, and like the Swan Island incident, the motorist only looked left and didn’t look right until he was already in the middle of the turn.
Lenny:
“1. no more waste of police resources on bicyclists running stop signs.”
In light of the fact that this cyclist got hit after she ran the stop sign perhaps you’d like to change your tune?
I have no problem with traffic police setting up enforcement actions of any kind, be it catching speeders (cars), catching drivers running red lights or catching cyclists running stop signs. If this particular cyclist had heeded the law she’d be ok.
With that having been said, I hope she survives this accident to bike again.
I’m astounded that after it became clear that Dawn ran a stop sign, people are still claiming the number one way to make the streets safer for cyclists is to let them run stop signs!
It’s sad, but if police made a weekly practice of running stop sign stings (targeting both cars and bicycles), perhaps cyclists like Dawn would think twice before flying through an intersection like that.
Instead of trying to pretend stop signs don’t exist, we ought to be fighting to fix the signage and controls on bike boulevards to reduce the number of stop signs cyclists encounter, and in places where they’re necessary, replace them with smart crossings and lights.
The bike-centric arrogance on this site is amusing. No wonder people hate us.
Aaron,
Post 28, at last a sensible proposal to make cycling easier and safer.
jason – this is a blog that people who, you know, ride bikes read.
[*Personally-directed insults removed*]
I don’t have a car, but I do have several bikes, and I agree with Jason.
I have to second rixtir. I ride a bike every day, rain or shine, don’t own a car either, and I too agree with Jason. I, however, do not find the arrogance amusing, but rather disconcerting. Your kneejerk reaction, Adam, is typical and contributes as much to the problems and dangers we face on a daily basis as any motorist.
fair enough, get well soon, Dawn. I do not condemn anyone for the way they ride – it does not affect me nor my safety. We are all responsible for our own safety. If we, as cyclists, make a mistake, it can be very costly.
drunk drivers, however, can be very detrimental to many people.
Me? I stay as far away from cars as possible. My kneejerk reactions are what keep me safe and alive so I am going to stick with them. If that is typical, I am ok with that. If you think that I am contributing to your danger and your problems, well, that is fine too.
Debate requires at least two sides. it is fun to do and, if we listen, we can all learn something about being more safe and more fun. Or, you can just agree with each other without saying anything – just make sure you obey their rules…
Yes, lights are very important. Period.
Jonathan please use your position in the press community to begin to educating them as to how to correctly and effectively report crash (note not ‘accident’) descriptions.
The Mercury reports: “Investigators believe that speed is not a factor in this collision, and that contributing factors include alcohol consumption on the part of both drivers and the fact that Slawta was wearing dark clothing, not wearing a helmet, and was operating her bicycle without lights.”
Slawta’s [possible] riding under the influence and operating a bicycle without a headlamp are factors that are against the law. The other factors (or ‘fact’) (dark clothes and helmet) are not required but helpful. This would be like the press reporting the ‘fact’ that a car driver involved in a crash owned a high performance car and that it was painted in a dark color.
Again the press over states what is required vs. what is a suggested good practice. This then confuses drivers and may lead many to yell at bicyclists not wearing helmets and such. (Driving distracted by motorists?)
Being seen with light(s) and reflective surfaces is of much greater importance than simply wearing a helmet. Too bad our bicycle manufacturers and their trade association still sell incomplete and under equipped bicycles in the US…imagine buying a car at the dealer without lights!
The new See and Be Seen program should be ramped up, as there are still too many bikes (and cars) on the road without effective lights.
Again think of practices in places with a high proportion of trips using bicycles…like the Netherlands. Good bike facilities + good [safety] equipment + traffic enforcement + rigorous driver & bike training = much lower traumatic brain injury rates than the US…even with Dutch bicyclists not wearing helmets and wearing dark clothes in a rainy climate. These are things to think about.
This is a shared tragedy between both vehicle operators and their families and friends.
There’s a difference between going through a stop sign after slowing and making sure there is no approaching traffic compared to blindly flying through an ignored stop sign. Some here are equating apples with oranges.
I live in Idaho and my friends and I have been lawfully running stop signs since the law went into effect, with no problems to date.
Obviously a little common sense is needed when making a decision to stop at an intersection or not. Drinking, not having lights, etc all point to the possibility that the cyclist in this case wasn’t exercising “due caution” when she entered that intersection…
I was just informed that Oregon is one of only eight states that make the rules of the road, and laws, the same for both cars and bikes. Does anyone know more about this? And I wonder if the fines are the same in both instances of an infraction by either.
DK, here are two sites w/ links to laws for each state. I’m not sure which is more up to date so I’m including both.
http://www.massbike.org/bikelaw/statelaws.htm
http://www.ibike.org/education/laws.htm
If I run a stop sign on my bike, I put only myself at risk.
If I do the same in my car, I put other people at risk.
Limited police resources should be directed at limiting behaviors that put others at risk.
That said, I encourage all my fellow cyclists…for their own sake, to stop (at least in the “California” fashion) at stop signs, to not run red lights, to wear bright clothing, to ride with both front and rear lights.
Actually, at my age I found that if I don’t Drive my bike like its a car, I start Riding my car like its a bike!
“If I run a stop sign on my bike, I put only myself at risk”
Seriously? What about pedestrians? Other cyclists? What do you think happens if a car hits a cyclist at 45mph? Know what a deer can do to a car?
Lenny, post 40;
It’s not true that you put only yourself at risk when you run a stop sign. You’re thinking of what happens to *you* if you run a stop, but you’re not considering what happens to pedestrians or other bikers if you run a stop. And then, of course, you’re completely discounting the property damage you cause when you smash into somebody else’s car, motorcycle, or bicycle.
On that basis, your statement that “Limited police resources should be directed at limiting behaviors that put others at risk” means that police should continue to enforce the traffic laws.
DK, Number 38;
In almost every state the traffic laws for bikes and other vehicles are the same, with exceptions here and there (for example, the way DUI laws are applied or not applied to bicyclists varies from state to state.).
In no state is there one set of laws for bicyclists, and another set of laws for motorists (the exception being the laws that require bicyclists to ride in bike lanes.).
“This would be like the press reporting the ‘fact’ that a car driver involved in a crash owned a high performance car and that it was painted in a dark color.”
I’m totally behind having the press report these same “bad practices” about automobiles involved in crashes. Also whether or not the car had burnt-out headlights or taillights, squeaky belts (loose belts affect power steering), whether or not the driver was wearing a seatbelt, and whether or not the car was equipped with airbags and if they deployed.
sorry folks while i feel for the girl and it sucks.
she ran a stop, she was drinking, she had no lights, she had no helmit and she hit the truck broad side at almost 90 deg. sorry but she is at fault. this one is not a driver being stupid this is a cyclest being stupid.
my prayer is for her to live and get better. I also hope to hell she gets back out on her bike.
folks its helmits and lights day or night; im tired of ghost bikes and dead friends. today i went swimming for the first time in 9 months form being tagged by a car. you might be laughed at cause of your helmit but i will tell you 9 months of pain sitting on your ass and 200 thousand in dr bills half of which is what the insurance covers just aint worth it. play it safe and stack the odds in our favor; i got out of king crabbing caus i blinked and i was not only the old guy but didnt have any old friends left. dont make this my bike experiance as well; I like some of you
Does anyone know how Dawn is doing? I hope she is pulling through this. 🙁
Dawn’s still in ICU, in a coma.
Dawn’s Uncle Jim, thanks for the update. I thought of her yesterday when I was riding near the accident site, and I’m hoping for the best.
If there’s anything we can do, I hope you’ll let us know.
She was riding with a red l.e.d flasher on her belt and it is my understanding that the cops assumed she was drinking, no test was actually given. And it’s most unlikely since she had just gotten off work and was headed home. She should have had a helmet on yes, and maybe she should have had a bigger more noticeable flashing light. But driver’s could take some time to be a bit more aware. Since I moved here from California of all places I turned my own license in, out of fear of being hit by someone here. Ironic huh? I have seen people with cell phones deep in conversation while driving, and fighting to keep there animals to stay put in the car. Not to mention the people who are late and speeding to make up for lost time with a cup of coffee in hand. It’s sad. Phones were banned in Cali you must now pull to the side of the road or wear an ear piece and animals are behind a cage. We never expect to get anywhere fast because of traffic, so we took our time and sometimes we left early. I was shocked to see the volume of pedestrians here. They are everywhere. How do you not drive defensively in this town?
” I do not condemn anyone for the way they ride – it does not affect me nor my safety. We are all responsible for our own safety. ”
Except that a few months ago, I was riding up Salmon and encountered some idiots on their bikes with no lights, and they were just rode out across the street in front of me. I stayed upright, but I was sure convinced that if anything had happened, the other riders would have been responsible.
Let’s grow up and realize we’re not on the open range anymore with our trusty six-shooters and faithful horse. We live in a civil society, in numbers and densities unimaginable by historic standards. We rely on each other with our lives, all the time, and our actions are so intertwined with people we never even meet, that we need to drop this whole libertarian self-reliance crap. Yes, we are responsible for our lives, but also for the lives of others, as others affect our lives every day. Let’s accept it, and learn that freedom means more than freedom to be stupid.
[/end rant]