Garbage truck/bike collision at SE 50th and Hawthorne – UPDATED

View of SE 50th and Hawthorne.
Truck was pointed west and coming
out of eastern most intersection.

There was a crash at around 7:00 am this morning at SE Hawthorne and 50th involving a woman on a bike and a garbage truck. The truck operator was headed west on Hawthorne when the collision occurred. This is the portion of Hawthorne where there’s a bend in the road and most eastbound traffic is diverted south onto 50th.

The extent of the women’s injuries are unknown. I’m awaiting more details from the Police Bureau Trafffic Division. Here’s what KATU TV is reporting:

“The driver of the truck, which belonged to Gruettner Sanitary Service, said he he stopped at a traffic light but realized he was too far into the intersection and backed up.

When the light changed and he accelerated through the intersection, he collided with the cyclist.”

KATU also has a short video which shows the crash scene:

I don’t know this intersection very well, so perhaps others can chime in. I’ll update this post when I hear more from the PPB.

UPDATE, 12:56: Here are more details from the PPB:

“This morning at 6:39 a.m., Portland Police Officers responded to Southeast 50th and Hawthorne Boulevard on the report of a bicyclist hit by a garbage truck. Officers arrived and contacted the bicyclist, 28-year-old Alexsandra Dorokhova of Milwaukie, who had been hit. The bicyclist was transported to O.H.S.U. with non-life threatening minor injuries. A witness described the bicyclist crossing the street against a red light as the garbage truck was turning on a green light. Traffic Division officers conducted an investigation and did not issue any citation.

The bicyclist was wearing a helmet.”

UPDATE, 8/25 at 3:11 pm: Here’s a more detailed description of what happened that happened, courtesy of PPB Traffic Division Sgt. Todd Davis:

“The garbage truck was eastbound on Hawthorne and had stopped for a red light at SE 50th Ave. The driver said he had stopped over the line of the crosswalk so he backed up a little to make room in the crosswalk for the bicyclist who was waiting to cross. Once the driver backed up, his light had turned green, and he started moving forward. The bicyclist was now in the crosswalk in front of his truck. He struck her at low speed [5mph] knocking her to the ground.

The bicyclist was transported to OHSU, but apparently did not have serious injuries. A witness told the officer that the bicyclist rode in front of the garbage truck against a red [DONT WALK] light. I imagine she was confused when the truck initially backed up to let her cross. No cites were issued to either party. The 28 yo cyclist was wearing a helmet.”

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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Shetha
Shetha
13 years ago

This very nearly happened to me about a year ago. I had even made eye contact with the driver right before I got squeezed out of the bike lane (and quickly up onto the curb) at a red light. Often times these trucks are driving along with hazards on and at an intersection there is no clear indication of which way they are going or what their plan is. I called the sanitation company and requested that they send their drivers through better training or adopt better policies. Not sure if it actually happened. Now, I am just very cautious when I’m around them. I assume they have no idea I’m there and proceed accordingly.

Zaphod
13 years ago

First, I hope she is ok and has a full recovery.

It seems as though there have been more bicycle-related accidents lately. It seems that this should/could be a catalyst to demand the changes that would improve safety for all users. There are inexpensive solutions and more involved infrastructure changes but the time is unambiguously *now* to get this done.

Elliot
Elliot
13 years ago

I’m familiar with the intersection. It was redesigned about 5 years ago to the current configuration. Even this long after the changes went in I notice that road users are still confused about the geometry of the intersection. The angles are such that people are confused whether the movement they want to make is “straight” or turning right, so the “no turn on red” signs are sometimes ignored. It doesn’t look like that dynamic was involved in this crash, though. I can’t figure out from the KATU video what movement the cyclist might have been making through the intersection. Looks like the garbage truck was turning left onto 50th.

Albina Press II is about 100 feet east of the intersection, on the south side of Hawthorne. They are the primary source of bike traffic in the immediate area. I believe they have an on-street bike parking area there now.

I hope the cyclist isn’t badly injured and makes a speedy recovery.

jeff
jeff
13 years ago

Not nearly enough information yet. Just stop the speculation and blame game and public calls to action to build entire new infrastructures just for cyclists until more is known. These half stories don’t serve anyone well.

Hope she’ll be OK.

Adams Carroll (News Intern)
Reply to  jeff

Jeff wrote:

“…These half stories don’t serve anyone well.”

thanks for your input, but I disagree. In just the few comments I’ve read I already have more information about the intersection than I had before. I put these crash reports up like this so that people can weigh in with their input about the location and perhaps share if they saw what happened.

jeff
jeff
13 years ago

Oh, and I live about 3 blocks from that site. The only difficultly there is leaving 50th southbound to cross Hawthorne in front of Albina Press, and even that’s not difficult if you stop and look both directions and are PATIENT.

yarrrrum
yarrrrum
13 years ago

I don’t know if this has anything to do with the accident, but I drive the stop light and bike it daily. I will sit and wait for the light to change while on my bike and get passed by 3 bikes while I wait. Bikes blow the stop light constantly. It makes me feel stupid to see the other bikes whizz past the stopped cars and little nerdy me waiting for the change, Sigh…

Bike rarely keep the lane when going thru this intersection. It’s tuff too.

jeff
jeff
13 years ago

More referring to KATU then you, Jonathan, since you story only links the KATU one. How can people accurately put in “their input” if they don’t have the facts?

Yarrruum don’t feel nerdy, you’re not the one under the garbage truck.

Peter Smith
Peter Smith
13 years ago

These half stories don’t serve anyone well.

Disagree. I want to know about walk/bike collisions the moment they happen, with as much or as little information as is available. It’s a bit frustrating to not have full knowledge, but that’s no reason to keep incidents secret, and even after months of investigation, we may still end up without full knowledge — it’s just a fact of life.

Yarrruum don’t feel nerdy, you’re not the one under the garbage truck.

OK, I’ve had my fill of despicable sentiments for the day – all before 11 am. Thanks for that, ‘jeff’.

Velophile in Exile
Velophile in Exile
13 years ago

Jeff complaints about stories being published with incomplete facts, but then implies that the bicyclist in this collision was at fault with his reply to the comment about bicyclists often not stopping at the intersection. That’s pretty ironic (or another adjective that Jonathan wouldn’t appreciate me using here).

Tourbiker
Tourbiker
13 years ago

dunno what happened here, but i can make a generalization based on how i see garbage trucks drive nearly every morning @ 3-5am.
blow stops (& lights)…run wrong way on streets generally impatient behavior.

I live downtown 20 years & know what I talking about

random_rider
random_rider
13 years ago

KATU uses the phrase that the cyclist ran into the garbage truck. Considering the lack of information regarding the accident, it’s hard to know if this is based on fact or just poor writing on their website. It certainly implies fault on the part of the cyclist.

They also included the usual “it was not known if the cyclist was wearing a helmet” as if that has any relevance than stating “it was not known if the driver of the truck was talking on the radio or wearing a seatbelt”.

There is absolutely no way of knowing who was at fault here, but that isn’t going to get in the way of rampant speculation by anonymous posters here and at the KATU site. At least the story hasn’t hit Oregonlive yet. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy than the majority of posters who haunt that board.

Let’s all just hope that the rider’s injuries are not too serious and that she makes a quick and full recovery.

peejay
peejay
13 years ago

I live very near this intersection, also. I don’t know what happened, but I do know that KATU, like almost all other news sources, feels obligated to ask the “helmet” question. Did the helmet (or lack of) CAUSE the crash? Does every story about a shooting ask whether the victim was wearing a kevlar vest? What great journalists we have!

Misanthrope
Misanthrope
13 years ago

Traffic heading in each direction has a light. If the garbage truck driver had a green light to turn, then the biker had a red light, assuming the biker was heading in a different direction. If the biker was heading in the same direction, to be hit, she would have had to cut in front of the garbage truck. The bus I was on this morning was right behind the ambulance and based on the direction of the bike, it appeared that she was heading north on 50th and ran the light to turn west on Hawthorne. I see bikers do this all the time. I base my comments on what I saw. I’d bet my lunch it’s what happened, but not my life. I look forward to the day when Portland bikers who have it, lose their sense of entitlement. Plenty of times, it seems that drivers care more about the lives of bikers than the bikers do, or they wouldn’t ride without care.

Nick V
Nick V
13 years ago

I do hope the woman recovers quickly. Like some people have said, it’s too early to speculate. KATU says the accident occurred at 5:45am when it’s still fairly dark outside. Can’t point blame one way or the other, but I know from experience that anyone cycling at that hour should have lights and reflective clothing on.

Spiffy
13 years ago

I’m familiar with the intersection and it sucks… I understand they wanted to design the road with the majority flow of traffic in mind, but it’s still not a good corner…

going with what Shetha #1 and yarrrrum #6 are stating I can see how this possibly could have happened… jeff #4, sorry for the speculation…

SPECULATION ON: truck pointing west turning south, bike pointing east turning east… flashers on truck make bike think it’s turning right because it can’t see that the left side is also flashing… bike pushes the yellow (or blows the red light altogether) thinking truck is going the other way but instead gets a grill sandwich… END SPECULATION

we’ll be waiting again to hear from any witnesses to find out who was in the intersection first and legally…

shirtsoff
shirtsoff
13 years ago

It’d be nice if cyclists had a small path that cut through the northern end of the intersection (i.e. the green space or park if you will) so that they could continue westbound from upper Hawthorne to lower. Granted, it would require a yield sign so that cyclists don’t put them in harm’s way of cars coming from 50th Ave to the south. As it is now, the traffic lane approaching from upper, eastern Hawthorne slims down to barely accommodate one motorized vehicle. This is probably to prevent a cyclist from getting pinched, but in practice it feels very uncomfortable and not the best designed intersection with cyclists in mind.

wsbob
wsbob
13 years ago

“…Bikes blow the stop light constantly. It makes me feel stupid to see the other bikes whizz past the stopped cars and little nerdy me waiting for the change, Sigh… ” yarrrrum #6

People on bikes blowing the stop light are the stupid ones. Many people no doubt respect you for stopping at the stop lights. More power to you if you’re stopping at the stop signs too.

I appreciate what Tourbiker #11 says about the hours between 3am and 5am (though, as Nicky V says in comment #13, KATU reports this collision occurring around 5:45am). Activity on the street is zilch at that time. I can imagine some road users taking liberties with the regulations, particularly during those hours.

jeff
jeff
13 years ago

Velophile, sorry to hurt your sensibilities.

KOIN is reporting it was the woman’s fault (she ran red), but that she’ll be OK (non-life threatening injuries).

jeff
jeff
13 years ago

While KGW said neither party was at fault. Confusing.

trail abuser
trail abuser
13 years ago

The garbage truck was backing up, and from a distance, the cyclist may have thought the truck was reversing to pick up garbage and it was clear to proceed. Judging by the short distance the truck is nosed in to the intersection, this is plausible.

Velophile in Exile
Velophile in Exile
13 years ago

People who troll on blogs criticizing bicyclists for running lights are the stupid ones. Motorists kill 42,000 people a year. Got a clue yet?

Velophile in Exile
Velophile in Exile
13 years ago

$ #19: No need to apologize.

Does “crossing the street against a red light” mean that the bicyclist was in the crosswalk?

h
h
13 years ago

many time traffic light did not turn when I stopped for left at front of the intersection. So…

anthony
anthony
13 years ago

While I’m one of those cyclists that gets annoyed about fellow cyclists blowing through red lights, if I remember correctly, this is one of the traffic lights that doesn’t trigger for bikes unless a car is behind them (on the west side of Hawthorne going east). Of course, that’s no excuse for not exercising caution, looking all ways, even moving to the crosswalk and pushing the walk signal if necessary.

As for what might’ve happened, it seems clear the truck was turning south onto 50th. Either the cyclist was travelling east on Hawthorne or north to make a left turn onto Hawthorne going west. If the truck had both blinkers on, which seems quite possible if it had just been backing up, and maybe even why the driver mentioned that in his statement, the cyclist could’ve assumed it would be stationary or maybe even continue to back up, and went through the light.

Nick V
Nick V
13 years ago

Speculation again, but the truck couldn’t have been moving very quickly when turning which means that the cyclist must have been riding fast which would also meaning that she didn’t even think about stopping or looking.

I feel bad for her but these are the kinds of incidents that make many drivers think cyclists are jerks.

yarrrrum
yarrrrum
13 years ago

@ Elliot #3

There are no ‘No right turn on Red’ signs at this intersection. Just checked during my lunch break.

wsbob
wsbob
13 years ago

“While I’m one of those cyclists that gets annoyed about fellow cyclists blowing through red lights, if I remember correctly, this is one of the traffic lights that doesn’t trigger for bikes unless a car is behind them (on the west side of Hawthorne going east). Of course, that’s no excuse for not exercising caution, looking all ways, even moving to the crosswalk and pushing the walk signal if necessary. …” anthony #25

Exactly. Sometimes the sensor doesn’t work, or seems to take so long to work that people naturally would rather not wait for the light to cycle through at 5:45 in the morning when there’s probably hardly any cars on the road.

People that don’t want to wait could go over and push the crosswalk button, or ride the sidewalk (it would be legal to do so there)until they’re through the intersection, then re-enter the street.

Blowing a stop light even at 5:45am with few or no cars on the street is not too bright, especially when a huge garbage truck is visible at a nearby crossing, positioned where it could possibly be preparing to enter the same intersection as the road user blowing a light is entering.

trail abuser
trail abuser
13 years ago

Garbage truck drivers sit on the right “passenger” seat like mail trucks. The accident doesn’t appear as though the two collided head on, which would involve a higher energy impact. The higher end equipment of the bike and the fact it’s equipped with Look pedals suggest the cyclist was not inexperienced. Throwing the truck into reverse, especially on a large garbage truck with limited rearward visibility, is troubling. This is why insurance company attorneys demand that their clients STFU when interviewed by police.

Kim
Kim
13 years ago

yarrrrum – please don’t feel stupid or nerdy and it appears, as the facts come out, that this accident confirms you are the smart one. I have commented on here MANY times about how I feel that bad biking makes a bad impression on non-bikers and hence, makes them, as the majority of the taxpayers, less willing to help and support cycling. But until your post, I never considered how bad cycling might influence other cyclists to do the same.

Two weeks ago my husband and I had to drive across town on two consecutive weeknights (after dark) to pick up appliances. Both nights we noticed some very unsafe cycling (can’t think of the last time I didn’t) and for a small portion of out trip kept track of just lighting and ignored everything else that we saw like the running of stop lights and stop signs.

We noticed that 60% of the cyclists we saw had NO lights whatsoever and many had no visible reflectors and only 15% had a light in both the front and back. Most of these cyclists were dressed in dark clothing, many with no helmets and were all observed on public streets. For example, some of the riders we saw were E/N bound on Barbur coming onto Naito, but not together and many had taken the lane. Even though I have observed this, actually counting and seeing how many there were the first night, is what made us do it again a second night, imagining that what we found must be an anomaly. But, night #2 was basically the same.

I can’t wait to see my bicyclist hating father-in-law (he knows I am a cyclist and that is likely what makes cycling such a common topic of conversation for him) next time. He will tell me how he thinks bicyclist are ruining his life and how they should not be allowed on the road. He will cite examples of how this is the case and sadly, they will all be bad behavior by cyclists that I have witnessed myself. It makes it pretty tough to argue his points.

Come on fellow cyclists! Behave in a way that helps the non-cycling taxpayers love us. Set a good example for other cyclists. Help me prove to my FIL that cyclists deserve his support and dollars. Quit trying to use motor vehicles for your suicide.

cyclist
cyclist
13 years ago

Jonathan #7: “In just the few comments I’ve read I already have more information about the intersection than I had before.”

The design of the intersection had nothing to do with the reason for the accident (according to your update), so any conversation about the intersection really detracts from the actual story, which is essentially “Cyclists blow red light, gets hit by garbage truck.”

I’d appreciate it if just ONE time you’d try to hold off on publishing one of these stories until you have all of the facts, just as an experiment to see how it shapes the conversation. I believe that the conversation will be much more productive if it’s stripped from all of the speculation that dominates the early part of these threads before you do your update.

Elliot
Elliot
13 years ago

Re: yarrrrum #26: no turn on red, for traffic on eastbound Hawthorne turning onto 50th southbound.

spare_wheel
spare_wheel
13 years ago

“People who troll on blogs criticizing bicyclists for running lights are the stupid ones. Motorists kill 42,000 people a year.”

*ding*

trail abuser
trail abuser
13 years ago

As a former racing driver, I’d say most people are awful at car control and don’t have much practice beyond high school driver’s ed. In Germany, driver licenses are difficult to get and require years of study and practice. Americans also tend to drive poorly handling cars that don’t steer or brake as well as smaller European or Japanese cars. Your father-in-law sucks at driving and my Swedish aunt can out-drive him on snow and ice and a racetrack since she’s a race driver too.

Wayne
Wayne
13 years ago

Kim,

Couldn’t agree with you more. Well said.

Spar_wheel – sorry, cyclists who run lights and blow through stop signs are the stupid ones, ignoring basic laws that apply to cyclists AND drivers alike, and thereby increasing their chances of becoming another statistic. As someone unfortunate enought to have struck and killed a pedestrian on I-84 many years ago (he was in the middle of the freeway at 5:30 am) I can tell you, no driver wants to be the cause of someone else’s demise if they can avoid it. Stop running red lights and stop signs, you take away the single most common complaint heard about cyclists’ behavior in Portland on a daily basis. And I for one don’t take kindly to the fact that, as a responsible and law-abiding cyclist, I get lumped together with those who couldn’t care less.

Velophile in Exile
Velophile in Exile
13 years ago

Kim, (#28), I fixed it for ya:

“Two weeks ago my husband and I had to [bike] across town on two consecutive weeknights (after dark) to pick up appliances. Both nights we noticed some very unsafe [driving] (can’t think of the last time I didn’t) and for a small portion of ou[r] trip kept track of just [speed]ing and ignored everything else that we saw like [changing lanes without signaling and] the running of stop lights and stop signs.

We noticed that [10]0% of the [motor]ists we saw [exceeded the speed limit regardless of the road conditions (residential roads or construction zones)] and only 15% [were even going within 5 miles an hour of the posted limit]. Most of these [motor]sts were [driving vehicles weighing well over 2,000 pounds, many while texting or talking on a cell phone] and were all observed on public streets. [This is incredible given that ODOT says speeding is the number one cause of highway fatalities and injuries in Oregon.]

I can’t wait to see my [motor]ist hating father-in-law. He will tell me how he thinks [motor]ist[s] are ruining his life and how they should not be allowed on the road. He will cite examples of how this is the case and sadly, they will all be bad behavior by [motor]ists that I have witnessed myself. It makes it pretty tough to argue his points.

Come on fellow [motor]ists! Behave in a way that helps the non-[motor]ing taxpayers love us. Set a good example for other [motor]ists. Help me prove to my FIL that [motor]ists deserve his support and dollars. Quit trying to use motor vehicles for your suicide.”

See how dumb that sounds?

Motorists kill 42,000 people each year. Please get a clue and focus on real roadway safety problems instead of haranguing people who ride bikes.

Velophile in Exile
Velophile in Exile
13 years ago

@ #32:

“I can tell you [that] no driver wants to be the cause of someone else’s demise if they can avoid it.”

Really, Wayne?

I can tell you that your statement is complete bullsh!t, because I have personally had drivers use their vehicle as a weapon against me for daring to take the lane when necessary.

These people were frustrated that I was “slowing them down” and could easily have avoided attempting to hurt or intimidate me.

That is the mentality of many motorists.

And if you spend any time reading this blog, you will come across several examples of motorists who intentionally or negligently caused harm to bicyclists with their vehicles (i.e., where they could have avoided it).

Get a clue, man.

cyclist
cyclist
13 years ago

Velophile in Exile #33: It’s kind of funny that you’re picking on Kim for the red light thing when the cyclist in this story got hit because they ran a red light. I can’t for the life of me understand why so many folks here defend the right to run a red light. Just wait the 45 seconds it takes for the signal to turn, then get back in the saddle and go.

Tom
Tom
13 years ago

It’s not pleasant to be obeying traffic laws, and have a cyclist who is not, collide with your vehicle.

Never mind the cyclist, I hope the truck driver wasn’t shaken up too much.

WOBG
WOBG
13 years ago

@cyclist: Here, here—except running a red light isn’t a right; it’s just amateur-hour folly. Some people ride for years and years, yet never progress past noob level.

Garbage-truck-colliding woman, get well soon—and then learn and ride better.

yarrrrum
yarrrrum
13 years ago

Elliot,

Thanks. Didn’t come from that direction. Was really only thinking about where the event took place. May I restate: no ‘NTonR’ sign where accident occurred.

You are correct. Nobody obeys that sign.

Velophile in Exile
Velophile in Exile
13 years ago

Cyclist (#35), I am not defending running a red light. Can’t you see that?

WOBG
WOBG
13 years ago

…assuming the witness account is accurate, of course.

Wayne
Wayne
13 years ago

Velophile in Exile,

First, I have a clue; in fact, more than just one. Perhaps I should have qualified my comment with (Any sensible driver). I had my own close call last Saturday while on a weekend ride at the coast, and have also had many instances where a driver put my safety at risk while commuting. But I’d like to think most of them aren’t considering the possibe outcome of their behavior, intentional or otherwise.

jeff
jeff
13 years ago

Velophile in Exile, you seem fairly young and defensive. I live near this intersection and travel through it most every single day. From the photos and update, the cyclist ran a red light. There is little room for argument. Not every driver is out to get you, and we can all make it easier for those folks who just want to get home or do their job without injuring or killing someone. Stop with the sterotyping, you’re only making yourself look foolish.

Velophile in Exile
Velophile in Exile
13 years ago

@ #40:

But that’s the point, man: If you qualify your statment with “sensible” then it doesn’t mean much.

Anyone with a pulse can get a driver license, and anyone with or without a license can drive and kill someone without any real repercussions.

Many of them indeed “aren’t considering the possible outcome of their behavior” and that’s only slightly less bad than doing it intentionally, because it will almost as often result in someone else (usually someone biking or walking) getting badly hurt or killed.

42,000 each year.

Do you go on car blogs and tell people how “stupid” it is to speed?

Didn’t think so.

GawD
GawD
13 years ago

@Velophile in Exile I’m not sure what you think you accomplish by demonizing drivers. Hell yes, many of them are a problem, but we are talking about a specific incident here and it appears that the driver had no more or less responsibility for this accident. Ignoring the kinds of behaviors some cyclists display and simply focusing on the behaviors of some drivers does not contribute to this thread. Frankly you come across as a holier-than-thou biker who is just plain annoying.

are
13 years ago

re cyclist 29, yes, the best time to have any conversation about the difficulties of any particular intersection would be after something actually happens. or not.

lucy
lucy
13 years ago

Velophile, this oughtta blow your mind. I’ve almost been hit by bicylists… twice… while walking downtown.

One blew a red light and almost hit me at full speed going down Jefferson, while I was lawfully in a crosswalk.

The other went screaming down the sidewalk at very nearly the same location.

Anonymous
Anonymous
13 years ago

Velophile in Exile,

“People who troll on blogs criticizing bicyclists for running lights are the stupid ones. Motorists kill 42,000 people a year. Got a clue yet?”

The number of 2007 MVA deaths from the NHTSA

Occupants
Passenger cars 16,520
Light trucks 12,413
Large trucks 802
Buses 37
Other/Unknown 629
—————————–
TOTAL Occupants 30,401

MotorCyclist 5,154

NonMotorist
Pedestrian 4,654
Pedal-Cyclist 698
Other/Unknown 152
———————————-
Total NonMotorist 5,504

Grand Total 41,059

% of MVA deaths that are cyclists 1.69%

If you’re going to throw around the numbers they need to be talked about in the proper context.

tony
tony
13 years ago

GawD,

If I had to venture a guess I’d suppose that they are frustrated with the current state of discourse in this city surrounding traffic safety and transportation modes.

While I thinkt he cycling community certainly can and should continue to educate jerk-ass and dangerous cyclists, the conversation nearly always turns to the actions of these cyclists and how their (generally) minor infractions are “the problem.”

I agree with ViE and think that until cyclists are (even proportionately) causing the same number of fatalities as motorists (and for that matter, I’d be happy to only count the deaths of non-motorists in that comparison) then I really don’t want to hear about how some cyclist ran a stop sign somewhere and someone almost hit them. It’s irrelevant, in my opinion.