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A 17-year-old boy passed away yesterday morning due to injuries he sustained in a collision with a car on Highway 99E/McLoughlin Blvd. in Gladstone (10 miles south of downtown Portland) just before midnight on Tuesday.
The Oregon State Police say the boy, Nicolas Levi Moreno, was attempting to cross McLoughlin Blvd. at SE Glen Echo Road when he was struck by a Honda Prelude driven by 49-year-old Philip Teters. Moreno was eastbound westbound on Glen Echo and Teters was driving north on McLoughlin.
An OSP statement reports that Moreno was attempting to cross on a red light and that their investigation, “indicates the bicycle did not have lighting equipment.”
According to OSP Lieutenant Gregg Hastings there’s no indication that impairment from drugs or alcohol was a factor.
Reader Matt Picio is familiar with this intersection he says McLouglin is a 45 mph zone in that area. Picio says that without a light, it’s “extremely doubtful” the operator of the car even saw the boy on the bike.
The Clackamas County Bike Map shows Glen Echo Road as a bike route and it is a common way to reach River Road to head north.
— Read more about Nick Moreno in the Oregonian: Crash victim was avid biker
The speed limit is 40mph in that area of McLoughlin (strictly enforced), and there is very little light from street lights. Without lights, a cyclist is nearly invisible. Very unfortunate.
My heart goes out to both families…
I’m so very saddened that this sounds like a completly avoidable crash, and yet it still happened.
God Bless…
We need bridges over these busy streets, like the Springwater Train Corridor 3 bridges (which coincidentally cross over 99E also)
That is just too sad. I feel for the kids family. What else is there to say, it’s a tragedy and that it could have been avoided makes it even worse in some ways.
Be safe out there and educate others! It might save your life, and it might save theirs. Kids need to taught that they are not immortal before they learn it the hard way.
This is very sad for everyone.
Jonathan, I think your map has Nicolas heading westbound. If he was eastbound he would have been further into his street crossing before the collision.
I work on McLoughlin the speed limit may be 40mph but is seldom observed. I’m not saying that the driver was speeding. Too many think McLoughlin is a raceway, and never would ride my bike on that death highway.
wow 17 years old, man i’m sad over this!
WHAT happend to safe streets people?
What happened to safe streets? We need a bridge over every busy roads? WHAT???
I think we just need to obey traffic signals, and that by itself will reduce crashes and injuries by over 50%.
Sure, it is possible the cyclist’s brakes failed or the facts are somehow wrong, but I seriously doubt it.
Assuming he purposefully blew the traffic signal with little thought to cross traffic, he may not actually have deserved death, but it is difficult to say he was not asking for what he got.
The victims are the parents and the driver.
Evolution can be rough.
Roundabouts
You ever take a round-a-bout at 45mph? it’s pretty fun
It is sad how many bike accidents are happening, but we can also learn a lesson from them. Bicyclists must, and I repeat, must obey the law.
We ask to be excepted by the people as a legitamite travel option, yet many people who call themselves bicyclists run red lights, stop signs, don’t wear visible clothing, and don’t use lights after dark. We are working against ourselves
If bicycling will ever be seen by the majority as a viable option, and I believe it will, then we must behave like law-abiding mode of transportation.
I pray for the boy’s parents and the driver this is a hard time for all of them.
#9, ditto.
Yet another fatality on one of the region’s most dangerous stretches of urban highway.
This corridor has seen a rapid increase in bike and pedestrian traffic in recent years, yet very little infrastructure has been added to support these uses.
Mcloughlin is dangerous for all modes of traffic. At least some sidewalks were recently added in the area just south of the City of Milwaukie. However, much more needs to be done.
Just a reminder:
– Avoid busy streets when/where ever possible
– Ride as if you are invisible
– Make sure you have your gear (lights, helmet etc.) in order!
Does Glen Echo require sensor activation to trigger the signal? (many similar intersections do) If so, perhaps the boy felt he had no way to cross except against the red.
I’d like to see all signal sensors disconnected unless they can be shown to detect a bike rollover anywhere in the street.
I think people do not realize the great cost involved in building bridges over roads, separated bike facilities, etc.
Learn to ride on the road properly , and to drive on the road properly is the real answer.
This was a 17 year old who obviously made a bad decision. Not really a reason to demand drastic changes…
Schrauf,
You are obviously an insensitive, self centered person.
How dare you say ‘Evolution can be rough’ in the comment section of an article that will be read by close friends and family of the boy?
Whatever happened, this is a true tragedy and I feel extremely sorry for the family.
Icarus, while it is true that nothing can substitute proper riding for riding on the street, including gear and safety devices, major highways such as 99 and Barbur need a lot of infrastructure improvements before they can remotely considered even marginally appropriate for cycling near.
I’m not saying this point needs it, but there are definitely key points along the highways in the region that could stand to have pedestrian overpass bridges, since the state ODOT doesn’t like to lower speed limits.
Decent crossing signals would help, too. And lighting, for god’s sake! I can’t believe how chintzy Oregon is at not putting in streetlights, and how piss-poor the ones they put in are (most of the light in streetlights is directed UP, not DOWN, where it would help illuminate the road and people/cars on it).
Nick was an employee and friend of mine from Bikenhike-Milwaukie . His tragic loss is felt deeply at the shop and thru-out the BMX community.
I have known Nick since he was born and he will be incredibly missed. I pray for Cindi, Dustin, Traci, Cody, Anna, Tessa, Kelsey and especially Alyssa.
Nick was definitely a very unique guy. I love him so much and pray that his family and friends keep his memory alive so that his daughter can feel like she grows up knowing him.
I love you Nick and truely believe that God has good plans for you in Heaven
Greg,
The signal does indeed have a sensor, and I have successfully triggered it with my carbon bike. The sensor changes the light within a few seconds after about 8:00 pm.
A week before this Nick came home with injuries from head to toe because he had been run off the road by a car. Nick ended up being thrown off his bike. The driver didn’t even stop. Nick ended up in the ER because we thought he had a broken ankle. Nick’s friends told me being run off the road by vehicles happens all the time to them.
According to Nick’s friends, Nick was a very cautious rider, always aware of his surroundings. A half hour later after Nick got hit, we drove by the intersection coming from River Rd. One thing that stood out in my mind was how “lit up” the intersection was. It was a clear night that night, no rain, no fog. Also, Nick didn’t see the lights on the car? Did the car have their headlights on?
I find it odd that between “two” men in a vehicle, neither of them saw Nick. They said they didn’t know what they hit. Interestingly enough….A Gladstone police officer had seen Nick seconds before and was turning around in Burgerville parking lot to stop and talk to Nick.
Nick’s friends are questioning the speed of Teters (the guy who hit Nick) because of the damage to Nick’s bike. They believe the guy had to have been going faster than 43 mph. Nick’s bike was not made out of the normal steel used in most bikes. The steel was a much stronger, reinforced specialized steel(maybe someone else that knew Nick and his bike can elaborate on this).
When I was at OHSU looking at my son lay there in ICU with a massive brain injury, I spoke with two doctors that told me that they see these types of critical bike/vehicle incidents “all the time”. I thought they meant every few months…they said, “NO….ALL THE TIME.” This is just pathetic.
Oregon drivers need a serious wake-up call and I plan on giving it to them. I am not one to take vengeance, but I am not going to just allow my son to be killed, then be told that it is happening all the time to other bike riders, and just roll over like it’s all okay in the name of an “accident”. The stakes have to be raised.
Drivers need to stop being distracted and start paying attention to their surroundings if they would like the privilege of having a drivers license.
It’s really sad that fatal situations like this are usually what trigger laws to be changed. I’d like to see drivers licenses taken away and/or suspended for a good long time. If you drive like an airhead….you need your license taken away.
Let some of these people be forced to become bike riders and have to put up with the inconsiderate, selfish BS from drivers. Maybe that would be an eye opener.
Nick’s mom
Nicks Mom.. As a parent, you are experiencing our shared worst nightmare, the loss of a child. Nothing ever will prepare us for this, and I feel this loss as it were my own.
My oldest son lives in Gladstone, and I occassionally cycle out there. I never use McLoughlin due to the high speed,heavy volume of traffic on that street. McLouglin is a state highway bisecting each community it passes through. Gladstones problem is shared by Canby, Portland,Milwaukie, Roseburg,Bend, or any city who has the fortune/misfortune to be on the State highway grid.
In Gladstone, if I were to need to get across the 5 lanes of traffic to the other side, typically one has to go up to a mile to get to a crosswalk.Even that is no guarantee of safety as a pedestrian or cyclist hit in the crosswalk is a common occurance. OOOPS.. didn’t see ya.. my bad.
The consequences are horrific for the victim, even the worst sanctions rarely serve as a deterrent for poor behavior.
I agree with your call for tougher sanctions for negligent driving. But at the same time, I have to ask why a city must be divided by roadways that promote this carnage. Should Gladstone suffer the division of community to promote faster car commutes to Oregon City or Canby?
Over the past decades, highways have been widened, traffic controls set, to encourage faster motor traffic. Transit has been limited, especially suburban transit. If you live in Canby, and work in Portland, the car is your only choice. Fast highways are a benefit for you.
The challenge I see is a pretty big one. Getting on your city councils case and demanding more lighted safe crossing places for Hwy 99. Pedestrian islands in between . Strong, consistent enforcement of speeds and traffic code.But expect a lot of backlash from those who benefit from maintaining the status quo. There is also an economic justice piece. Gladstone is pretty much a working class community. Why should the rates of respiratory illness and the higher incidence of motor related injury and fatality be foisted on the poorest communities? ( I notice hwy 43 goes through affluent Lk Oswego, but the have made sure it doesnt divide their community)
I wish you the best. I hope you can connect with others in your community who see this need to make it better for the most vulnerable users, and you can convince your leaders and community the importance of safe passage through the entire community and translate this new understanding into reality.
There are many who share these beliefs. You might check in here at Bike Portland from time to time, should you need info/support/or a forum. I think you would find those here.
Nick’s mom makes some good points; what I hear her generally saying about roadway behavior is that it needs to be taken more seriously. Too many drivers–and cyclists, too–do not take safety seriously at all, and therefore do not act responsibly while traveling on the road. Most people don’t associate “minor” traffic infractions with serious injury or death. The statement by OHSU Physicians that car-bike collision injuries happen “all the time” supports the idea that driving/riding on the streets is serious business.
Unfortunately, no matter how many of these incidents may happen, the majority of people continue to irrationally believe that “It Can’t Happen to Me”. If most folks had the attitude that it can and WILL happen to me if I am not careful and attentive, the streets would be much, much safer.
Nick’s mom and family/friends– I didn’t know Nick or anything about him until reading this story, but it always strikes us as especially tragic when someone’s life ends so prematurely. My condolences on your profound loss. May those who knew Nick remember him well, and may his untimely death serve as a reminder to act responsibly and safely on the roads.
Just FYI, I’ve put the comment by Nick’s mom on the Front Page. here’s the link to the story.
Bagel (#1) – thanks for the correction, the speed limit is 40mph all the way up to Park Ave, IIRC. People routinely drive 45-50 along that stretch of McLoughlin, however – no matter how strictly it’s enforced. Enforcement on 99E is sporadic at best.
Jonathan quoted me as saying it was “extremely doubtful” that the driver saw Nick. I believe that is true provided that the police report was accurate that Nick ran the red light (presumably at speed) and if the driver was travelling at or above (probably 5 over) the posted limit. All the signage and lighting in that area tends to kill driver night vision, and makes it harder to see people. Also, the service station sign and light poles would be blocking the driver’s view of cross traffic right at the critical moment. See this: http://tinyurl.com/5vlntm
I’m not assigning blame, nor trying to exonerate the driver – I don’t know all the facts, and my comment was based on Jonathan asking me about my knowledge of the intersection without any knowledge of the particulars of this case. Nick’s Mom – I am so sorry for your loss, and I absolutely agree with you on the problem of distracted drivers. Susie Kubota (Tracy Sparling’s aunt) has been getting involved in the fight to hold drivers accountable, and you might find her a valuable ally should you choose to change the system through local and state avenues.
This situation definitely needs to change – distracted drivers are killing hundreds (probably thousands, I don’t know what the percentage of the 43k deaths are due to distracted drivers) of people in the US every year, and it should not be tolerated. We wouldn’t tolerate this if it were industrial machinery in a factory – an automobile, truck or bus is no different.
We need a campaign to stop distracted drivers, and we need to change the definition of careless driving in the statutes to include distracted driving.
Nick’s mom, I can’t imagine your grief.
You are absolutely right that drivers should face serious consequences when they kill someone. Driving carelessly is far from a right, and it should in fact be a serious crime, strictly punished.
The Bicycle Transportation Alliance lobbied with a cyclist’s widow in 2007 to pass a law increasing the penalties on people convicted of careless driving who kill a cyclist or pedestrian.
I think you’re right not to accept the driver’s claim that he “didn’t see” your son. It’s a common excuse given by drivers who kill people, and it’s frequently accepted by police as a good excuse. But it is not acceptable not to see what is in front of you when you’re driving a car, no matter what the circumstances! If you can’t see what’s in front of you in a well-lit intersection, you need to slow down or stop driving entirely.
If you are interested, the BTA has a list of lawyers who work on cycling issues listed here:
http://bta4bikes.org/resources/legal.php
Perhaps, as with the loss of Mary O’Donnell’s husband, something can come out of your loss that will make roads safer in the future.
RIP NICK AND IM ALWAYS PRAYING FOR YOU AND I HOPE U SAVE A SPOT FOR ME
Save me a spot up there nicky.
i Miss you more then you know. I Love you and Rest in peace