wheel of a TriMet bus after the
collision on August 12th.
(Photo: Bill Jackson)
TriMet has released an update on the investigation of a collision involving a bus and a bike in downtown Portland on August 12th.
TriMet Communications Director Mary Fetsch says that following a review by the Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division, the man operating the bicycle, Richard Krebs, was given a citation for “failure to obey a traffic control device” (ORS 811.265). The bus operator was not cited, but was “provided retraining” according to Fetsch.
Fetsch also adds that the on-board video of the collision is not publicly available yet because, “… it is material evidence that may be used in court in relation to the citation.”
According to details of the crash relayed by TriMet and the Police Bureau, here’s how the collision occurred.
The man on the bike and the bus operator were headed northbound on SW 6th Ave in the left lane. As they approached SW Morrison (NE corner of Pioneer Courthouse Square), the bus operator swung wide to execute a “buttonhook turn” in order to clear a stopped MAX train that was stopped at the platform on Morrison. The man on the bike, who was on the left side of the bus, then “ran into the side of the bus as it was making the left hand turn.” A PPB spokesperson also says that, “The bike rider said his brakes were bad and he went into the intersection.”
At the time of the collision, the bus was on a temporary shuttle route due to a MAX train service interruption.