(Photo: Bill Jackson)
At about 7:30 this evening, a TriMet bus operator collided with a man biking on 6th Avenue in downtown Portland. According to TriMet spokesperson Mary Fetsch, the bus was traveling north on 6th and was taking a left turn onto SW Morrison when the collision occurred. The person on the bike was also on 6th and traveling north.
Here are photos taken from the scene by readers Nate Gibson and Bill Jackson:
(Photo: Nate Gibson)
SW 6th on the transit mall is one way going north and three lanes: one of them is rail only, the other is bus-only, and the third is shared by buses, cars, and bikes (don’t even get me started). SW Morrison is one-way to the west. Please keep in mind that, as you can see from the photo above, this area of downtown is very crowded.
I received several phone calls and emails about the collision. One reader called to say the person on the bike remained conscious and was taken away by an ambulance. “His leg is toast,” wrote someone on Twitter. Here’s more from TriMet:
The cyclist was alert and is being transported. The bus was part of the shuttle bus rotation providing alternative service because of the incident below the Vista Bridge [a suicide attempt].
I’ll keep you posted if there are any further developments. If you saw the crash please get in touch or leave a comment below.
UPDATES:
Bill Jackson, who provided two of the photos above, wrote via email that, “The scene looked to me like the bike either passed the bus while it was turning, or was in the crosswalk crossing the opposite direction.”
8/13, 9:15 am: KOIN reports that the man who was hit has been identified. His name is Richard Krebs.
8/13: Video report from KGW includes witness account and more: