The Beaverton Police Department reports that last night at about 11:49 pm, a man was hit by a truck on SW Hall Blvd just west of SW Scholls Ferry Road. The truck fled the scene and left 53 year old Jeff Connor laying the middle of the road.
According to Oregon Media Central (OMC), Connor is the nightside editor for KOIN television, the regional CBS affiliate station.
Here are more details from BPD:
“It was reported that a truck had hit a bicyclist…and fled the scene…witnesses told them [the cops] he watched the suspect’s truck stop at a driveway that exited onto SW Hall Blvd then turned left (eastbound). However, as the driver pulled out the truck hit Mr. Connor, who had been traveling west on SW Hall Blvd. This happened near the northwest corner of the intersection, just west of SW Scholls Ferry Road on SW Hall Blvd.”
OMC reports that Connor will have surgery later today (injuries are not life-threatening), and his story will be featured at 5:00 tonight on channel 6.
The vehicle is a tan, mid-90’s pickup truck with a standard cab and no tailgate. Damage from the crash should be on the front left bumper near the headlight. Anyone with information regarding this crash, the suspect(s) or suspect vehicle is asked to call the Beaverton Police Department at 503-629-0111.
Hit and runs are not uncommon, but I have yet to hear of a local TV media employee being the victim. It will be interesting to note how KOIN covers the story when the victim is one of their own.
Thanks for reading.
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Jeff,
I’m sorry to hear about your crash, and hope that you will heal quickly, completly, and get justice for your crash.
God Bless
But was he wearing a helmet???
Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery for Mr. Connor, and swift justice for the driver of that truck.
And #2 El, I had a similar thought, wondering if, with a news organization reporting on a tragedy affecting one of their own, they might consider putting aside the helmet fixation typical to this kind of story. After all, getting hit by a car can affect any number of body parts, and anyway, the focus (and blame) should be on the schmuck in the truck who did the hitting and running. In a story like this, the helmet question would likely seem a little dense, and callous.
Hey, it’s Brian Barker at KATU.
Jeff, I hope you heal quickly. Scary stuff. I always felt safer riding home after the 11pm news because I could hear and see traffic easier.
Jonathan: I’ve been commuting rain or shine every day for nearly 6 years and I’ve been hit 3 times. In fact, I got right hooked a month ago and ended up at the hospital with stitches and a concussion.
You said “I have yet to hear of a local TV media employee being the victim.” Well, I’ve been a hood ornament a few times. We just don’t do stories about it…
Here’s wishing you a speedy recovery, Jeff.
Brian, just curious, were your “hood ornament” experiences hit and runs? If so, I think that is a story worth reporting. If not, I think you missed Jonathan’s point.
Swift healing Jeff.
Sorry to hear about the crash, and sorry, Brian, about your crashes. But, what role do you play in the perception that KATU news is the most consistently anti-bike of our local media? And what can you do in the future to change that perception?
I was actually being kind of a snot-head asking about the helmet. I do wish Jeff a speedy and complete recovery, and hope the hitter/runner is found or turns him/herself in.
Another thing I would be curious about, although we’ll probably never know, is whether being over in the bike lane rather than further out to the left made Jeff less visible to the driver.
I think the most influential part of this story is just the fact that a major media employee bikes. The bike PR is good right there. That he got hit will, I think, be secondary to the realization that he biked in the first place.
I wish him a happy recovery, and Barker I hope you stop getting hit.
Perhaps they could do a special on seeing bikers at night?
Get Well soon, Jeff! Glad to hear your injuries are not life threatening!
I used to ride that stretch every day to work. That driveway was always very scary. I was always wary of cars coming out there and one reason is the sports bar in the strip mall. It’s a tricky spot because it’s downhill so you’re picking up speed and the bike lane ends right there before you cross 217 so you need to be aware of traffic behind you as you prepare to take the lane as well as traffic about to pull out of the driveway.
Well wishes to Jeff. And Brian I commend your perseverance.
don’t wait until a bike lane ends to take the traffic lane, comment 11, especially if there is a driveway coming off a strip mall parking lot to also contend with.
with two not very wide lanes in each direction, there is no reason to stripe a lane here to begin with, and certainly no reason to cooperate with the striping and put yourself in danger.
yet another instance of poor facilities “design.”
Jeff, I hope your surgery is successful and your wounds heal. I was a victim of a hit and run driver four years ago. Watching the driver purposely take off leaving me for dead in a dark, lonely intersection really hurt my faith in humanity. That wound took the longest to heal. I’m not really sure it has. Whether you ride again or not try to find a way to trust, love and forgive humanity.
Stay tough.
I hope you have a speedy recovery, Jeff.
The Koin coverage at 5pm didn’t have any appeal for help in catching the hit and run driver as I recall or vehicle description.
Hit and run w/ injury should = life-time driving ban. Maybe that would reduce the number of fleeing drivers.
@Brian, good luck w/ the new job outside KATU. Wherever it is, I certainly hope you have a safer commute!
Story is on KOIN’s website, for any that want to read it:
http://www.koinlocal6.com/news/local/story/Driver-truck-sought-in-Beaverton-hit-and-run/QKurpOXU7k-ieCfkCn3pYg.cspx
KATU’s story is pretty much the same:
http://www.katu.com/news/local/50257922.html
I suspect they both just copied the text out of the press release.
Jeff, get well soon.
I know what it is like. I was the victim of a hit and run at a young age. An off duty cop caught up with the drunk driver who ran off, and others took care of me.
I’m glad the news coverage of Jeff does not mention a helmet in any way. In most collisions the early news is often in error. Only weeks after a collision would it be ok to mention after all the facts are in, and the bias is filtered out.
The Oregonian is full of bias and inconsistency. They mention helmets in early reports, even when a motorcycle was legally stopped, and run down by a car. When a cyclist is run down by a drunk driver who flees, they mention helmets. They might as well report that a house has no helmet even when a car runs off a road and into the living room. Mention of helmets is unprofessional journalism in all 3 situations.
Ride safe out there, keep an eye on the cars, and the media bias. Peace, Joe
Jeff, I hope you have a swift recovery and I also hope they catch that jerk. Hit and run is such a monstrous crime! How can those people sleep at night?
Wow. Check out the comments on the KATU story linked above.
Here’s a sampling:
Very first comment–
i hope he heals fast and fully. i hope the bike rider takes a safety class
…And the second–
So thats what those little annoying blinking lights they make for cyclists are for. To prevent dumb cyclists from getting hit by cars in the middle of the night.
Here’s a good one–
its kinda fun to just nip the bike rider, not try to hurt them..just put them in the ditch or maybe (my fave) try to get them to crash into something. its a sport. their all gay wimps anyway..except the ones who dont wear the freak clothes. just normal people on bikes i wont mess with cuz their cool.
A response to the last comment says,
I like to hit them too. My only license plate is in the back window. I just remove it when I feel like being a dick!
Go to Kmart and get a kids bicycle safety flag. Then have the passengers whip the cyclists with the fiberglass pole.
Great fun…
More gems–
—im sure the bicyclist deserved it,he should consider himself lucky,-he could be dead!
—I hate bicyclists. More need to be hit!
—when in doubt wipe em out
got my self a rock and roll band
its a free for all
Unbelievable. Be extremely careful out there!
Jeff, get better soon.
As an old riding buddy of Jeff’s, I know that whatever else may be said this accident wasn’t his fault, so anyone who thought they had to spew about “was he wearing a helmet” or “he needs to take bike safety” should just stop now while they’re behind. Jeff is a very safe rider who never rides without a helmet.
And the comments from the KATU story are beyond idiotic.
The folks who made those comments undoubtedly would never wear a helmet if they ever rode a bike (motorized or otherwise)–which is okay, since they have nothing to protect inside their skulls, anyway.
Even if it might show a double standard, the tv stations can play this up for all its worth – and they should publicize some of the hateful comments quoted by El Biclero. While the costs of racism to people of color have been far greater than the cost of these attitudes to cyclists, it often strikes me how similar these attitudes are to racism. This is true on an institutional level too – witness the much greater resources given to cars than to other modes of transportation.
“While the costs of racism to people of color have been far greater than the cost of these attitudes to cyclists, it often strikes me how similar these attitudes are to racism.”
The beauty is though, that as a white dude, I can’t become black for a day, or Asian, or Indian, or latino…but anybody can become a cyclist for a day. The irony, if you can call it that, is that most of the time in “discussions” like this, it is folks with a single point of view (motorists-only) arguing with folks that have multiple points of view (experienced cyclists who also drive cars). We need some major eye-opening around here.
so to continue the thread…So the new ‘Driving While Black’ is ‘moving while being a Bicyclist’