NE Lombard and 15th,
(Photos: Portland Police)
A man was struck by a large motor vehicle while he rode his bike on Lombard Street in Northeast Portland yesterday. The crash left him with very serious injuries and the person operating the motor vehicle fled the scene. Portland Police later apprehended the suspect.
(Photos: Portland Police)
According to police, yesterday morning at about 10:00 am, 25-year old Emanuel Curran was riding his bike to work (at the Oregon Humane Society) on NE Lombard Street near 15th when he was struck by a large SUV. The police say, “For unknown reasons, Mr. Curran rode into the eastbound lane of traffic where he was struck by a large SUV that was traveling eastbound on NE Lombard.” Lombard is a state highway (30) in this section and consists of four standard vehicle lanes and a 5-foot wide bike lane in both directions. It’s unclear which direction Curran was traveling (*Update below).
The driver of the SUV was an unlicensed, 17-year old female who stopped momentarily, then fled the scene.
Mr. Curran suffered multiple fractures and facial injuries and was assisted by witnesses before being transported to Emanuel Hospital with serious, but non life-threatening injuries. Witnesses also gave responding officers information about the crash and the suspect vehicle.
The Portland Police located the suspect and took her into custody. She has been charged with Felony Hit and Run (ORS 811.705) and was cited for Driving Without a License (ORS 807.010).
UPDATE, 1:21: Here’s more about the collision from the PPB:
The bicyclist was so dazed by the collision, he couldn’t tell the officer where he was prior to the crash. Since he was riding to work [on N. Columbia Blvd], we think he was attempting to cross Lombard, from south to north, which would explain why he ended up in the path of the SUV. That’s why the driver of the SUV wasn’t charged with other crimes other than the hit and run.
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Why do folks keep doing the hit&run thing? are our hit&run laws not strict enough?
Judging by the age of the driver, I’m sure she didn’t understand the legal implications of her actions and she was probably acting entirely out of fear.
🙁
Please! At what age would she be aware of her actions? 18? 18 year olds are fighting in Afghanastan. Her age has nothiong to do with it. She should face serious consequences, as should any hit-and-run driver.
They hit and run for the very reason this person did: no license, most likely no insurance, and in other instances they are also intoxicated, have warrants, illegal residency. This does seem to be happening more and more lately. (like bank robberies)
I’m glad they caught the culprit. I hope Mr. Curran recovers.
Looks like someone should lose their option to have a license until they are 21.
or much older…she left someone for dead for all she knew, even if he was clearly alive when she took off. in other circumstances if you left someone like that after you’d been the one to inflict the injuries i can’t help but imagine you’d not face more severe punishment.
Yeah, why should she be able to get a license ever?
What difference would that make? Not having one didn’t keep her from driving this time. Not having one won’t make any difference in the future.
Looks like somebody should lose their option to have a license(period).
assuming she is a citizen….
Those who want justice (assuming the crash was her fault) are actually very lucky that she did a hit-and-run. Otherwise police probably wouldn’t charge her with anything, since running over a cyclist isn’t criminal (it’s a civil crime).
Info: http://www.webikeeugene.org/index.php/2010/06/editorial-30-days-in-prison-is-not-enough-for-killing-a-cyclist-by-driving-recklessly/
Did the driver of the Subaru WRX involved in the double hit and run a few months ago ever get caught??
“It’s unclear which direction Curran was traveling.” if the accident was at 15th and Lombard (as the map graphics shows) and Oregon Humane is 2 streets west it would seem he would be traveling west…
then why would he be in the eastbound lanes? was he making a left turn to stop for strippers or auto parts?
hate to blame the victim here, but things aren’t adding up yet…
Looks like the cyclist was on 15th turning left onto Lombard. The damage to the bike is consistent with that travel path – no damage to the front fork, but rear wheel has been pushed in. Possible impact point at or just behind the seat tube, likely would cause left leg injuries, plus spin the rider after impact. If that’s the actual case, very much not fun.
I hope Mr. Curran makes a full and complete recovery, and I hope that the vehicle owner has insurance and that the carrier pays out.
figures that the story is updated 2 minutes after I post… hehe…
Whether or not the cyclist did something dangerous or stupid, hit and run is still not ok.
Just posted this update from the PPB:
thanks! that explains a lot…
Allan good point, seems they just could careless about
hit & runs, today car drove me off the road and kept on going.. ahh nerve racking riding these days. we need bike buffers in Oregon. cars r bullys here
Would love to know if she was texting or flapping her gums on a cell phone. I hope the victim makes a quick and full recovery!
Dang, beat me to it Nick, Touche! p.s. Agreed
Her parents should be charged as well for letting her drive without a license. OR she needs to be charged with stealing the car.
Both of your suggestions are unrealistic. I think if we follow the chain of legal culpability, it leads to all the adults, and drivers in the community. I hope both involved can recover, and that the driver has adults in her life who can steer her towards safer decisions.
We need a real public transportation system so that people don’t feel the NEED to drive when they would rather be texting, flapping their gums or otherwise not paying attention to the road.
It is the general “need” to drive a car to survive that puts people behind the wheel that can barely operate a can opener.
As long as there is no feasible alternative the unskilled and unauthorized will continue to drive up the body count.
Word! And people under 18 have no business driving anyway. Amazing car culture we have in this country.
$10 she was texting and didn’t see him crossing (I know, I know, speculation bad) Speaking of hit and run… http://www.news-journalonline.com/breakingnews/2010/12/ormond-beach-bicyclist-killed-in-holly-hill-hit-and-run-accident.html
The lack of a drivers’ license doesn’t stop people from obtaining and driving a motor vehicle. A motor vehicle is big, heavy and fast — and used improperly or recklessly it can KILL someone.
Why are we merely “licensing” car drivers, when it sounds like what we ought to consider is more effectively regulating and enforcing ACCESS to automobiles?
Ignoring for now the legal ramifications…
How technically would you plan to prevent an unauthorized person from driving a single vehicle?
Many can jimmy a lock and disable the car alarm. So occupancy will difficult to control. Besides: driving is the problem, not riding.
Well, you could put an unimpeachable biometric identification device in a vehicle so that only authorized operators can activate said vehicle. Of course the database of authorized operators of a vehicle will need to be remotely update-able; this is so you can prevent new offenders from driving their vehicle when their license is revoked.
What logically follows is that you have to be able to prevent unauthorized people from driving ANY vehicle. Therefore, every vehicle must have an uplink to central database so that it can perform a check against a person’s identity against the database before operating.
Now for the fun legal bits:
How likely do you think it will be that the average person is going to want a Big Brother kill switch in their vehicle?
Even if I am an authorized driver with a perfect record it is quite possible that there could be database errors, ala “no-fly-list” gaffes, that disallow me for invalid reasons.
Then there are the matters of corruption and abuse of power: the government is invariably staffed by people that you wouldn’t trust with your luggage. Are you going to trust them with control over your car? Recall our current TSA problems: some security punk could easily shut of our car with this system stranding you in unsafe areas or possibly while driving in traffic.
Ultimately, I think that a system like this will have to be implemented. By common law, roads are public property open to use by all. All users need not be regulated and controlled. However, the use by one demographic can not be allowed to threaten the safety and use of other users. Driving a vehicle that threatens the health and safety of the general public is a privilege that must be monitored effectively and this may be the only way.
“some security punk could easily shut of our car with this system stranding you in unsafe areas or possibly while driving in traffic.”
There’s already an app for that (or close to it) with the new OnStar(tm)-equipped vehicles. Sometimes the price of convenience and “security” is to give control of aspects of your life over to corruptible entities and hope they stay uncorrupted. Not something I like to do; I’ll tie my own shoes for now…
She might have her future insurance branded (if she ever buys ins.) Hopefully she wont drive anymore
Who’s vehicle is it? How did she get the keys? Did someone offer her the keys or the vehicle? Is that aiding and abetting?
Maybe she lied about having a license.
was he wearing a helmet?
I don’t want anyone to get hurt I hope all involved can quickly get back to their normal life. BUT bikers need to understand they are considered a vehicle and obey the traffic laws. Bicycles are not pedestrians so they do not have the right of way as a ped does. These bikers are the ones to give good law abiding bikers a bad rap, as well as giving Portland drivers a bad rap for not respecting the bikers.
which bikers are “these”?
the ones that dont respect the traffic laws. ie. running stop signs or traffic lights. not signaling, no reflective gear, lights or helmets. the ones that expect traffic to stop for them. As a driver i wouldn’t stop on Lombard to let another driver from a side street turn left in front of me. I have the right away.
It was a dark, rainy morning and there was a traffic light just a block away in the direction he was heading..
Hopefully they’ll check her cellphone gps/triangulation and whether it was in use at the exact time of the “accident”. But they won’t.
I think they do this actually, when there is an investigation, which this seems to have warranted. At least they get the phone records. Or am I mistaken?
They don’t need to triangulate it, all they need to do is check the timestamps of outgoing & incoming calls & texts.
He might not get any ins. money from the car as she wasn’t suposed to be driving it. He will probably have to sue somebody to cover his medical if he dosen’t have his own ins.. lost wages? pain & suffering? lost wages? bike?
poor guy probably wont get much.. his work does have EXCELLENT coverage and disability.. though he wasn’t wearing a helmet and he should have gone up to 11th to cross at the light. not trying to stick up for the driver but he was being just as reckless as she was driving illegally
you have exactly zero information as to why he was where he was
the above article says he was going to work at the Oregon Humane Society.. the only way to get there in the direction he was going is 11th where there is a light.
What? There are several ways to proceed without going to a light. It its perfectly legal to make a left out of 15th which would include crossing 4 lanes. It would be perfectly legal to cross in the unmarked crosswalk, while proceeding no faster than a walking pace.
all im saying is the biker is not all innocent. He chose not to go to the light in the pouring rain and instead pulled into an occupied lane with a suburban. The driver made a huge mistake by fleeing and yes needs to pay for it as the biker is obviously paying for his mistake. The biker had to go to the light to get to where he was going anyways. thats all.
what information leads the cops to think the bike had any fault here?
according to Fox http://www.kptv.com/news/25979727/detail.html a witness says he darted into traffic. IT was a rainy dark morning and a traffic light to cross was one block in the direction he needed to go. However the traffic light does take FOREVER to change.
Fox. Known for truth in reporting.
Wrong Fox.
I agree that whomever owns the car should be charged for allowing an unlicensed driver to drive their car. If they didn’t allow her then she should be charged with auto theft.
It would also be contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Is that still a crime?
it is for alcohol..
A huge mistake is forgetting to pick up the kids at daycare, a crime is running from scene of an accident.
Agree w/ esther c: the young woman should either be charged with car theft or the person who gave her permission to drive the vehicle should face charges, including jerking their license for flagrant violation of the motor vehicle laws. An idiot does not have to be in a motor vehicle to break a motor vehicle law.
wrt insurance: if the bicyclist has Oregon auto insurance, the PIP clause can be used and would probably cover the first $25,000 of his medical expenses (that’s the common cap these days). If the car was insured, the owner’s insurance can be tapped– unless the owner can show that the vehicle was stolen. Then the following applies:
Something every bicyclist should know but hopefully never have to use: If they have an Oregon auto insurance policy, that covers any bicycling accident as well, which is especially important wrt the “uninsured motorist” provisions (if they are hit by an uninsured driver, their own policy will cover expenses.) (The insurance company will then go after the perp.)
That said, the cost of medical care is always going to be more than the total insurance available to you– the health care system is strongly biased to assure that. However if you find an expert on negotiating these matters, it is possible to negotiate the claims downward to something closer to reasonable. You need someone who knows the applicable laws and also knows the insurance and health care arenas where the fighting will take place. Do not expect to be able to do this on your own: the first critical moves have to be done while you need to concentrate on mending your broken body. Do not sign any agreements with a health care provider for paying off the debts over time: you are NOT in a position to know whether this is the best course for you and you are giving away a major point of leverage for obtaining a less financially destructive settlement. (You should plead that you are too shaken up, in too much pain, or too much under the influence of the pain meds to sign– and at least one of those will always be true for weeks.)
Bad rap:
There is no legal requirement for reflective gear, and helmets are only required by law if the cyclist is 16 or younger.
What about all the car drivers who don’t respect traffic laws? Rhetorical question, but you can always turn your bias upside down and apply the same questions to car drivers. (Speeding, running red lights (hey, that sounds familiar), not signaling (also familiar), talking on their cell phone while driving, texting while driving, not stopping at stop signs….)
Anyway: Hit and run is terrible. Especially when you consider that often, with injuries, time is of the essence– so this gal could have stopped and gotten him help sooner. But no, and now she has a felony charge on her record.
Sounds like the driver might have been driving too fast for the conditions, if it was dark and rainy and she didn’t see Curran– that picture looks like it’s wide open and clear.
I completely agree with you I am simply stating that other side. It is human nature, i would hope, to feel sorry for the injured party so I am only stating the side of he caused the accident. It is not that she was uninsured and driving without a license that caused it. I completely agree she deserves the felony charge for running but I can also see how any driver could have been caught up in this accident due to the bikers recklessness.
From what I gather:
-SUV was headed Eastbound on Lombard
-Cyclist likely attempted to cross Lombard @ NE 15th from the South (or turn left into the Westbound bike lane on Lombard) -Cyclist hit from the non-drive side by the SUV, impacting the back wheel, saddle and probably at least his left leg and hip.
Impact must have been low speed. The speed limit is probably around 45mph there. The driver either braked heavily or was otherwise traveling at low speed. I’d say the cyclist either didn’t see her or misjudged her speed. Misjudging the speed seems the most likely. Maybe her lights were off like a ninja car I saw in this morning’s early hours, but this was @ 10am.
Another possibility, given it was wet, maybe he overshot into the road with road slime covered rims. The investigators could easily still test the braking power of the front wheel. The bike has old center pull caliper brakes.
speed limit is 45, people often drive 50
What this story, and all the other stories like it, need is an “accident report map” to visually lay out the known details.
You start the Known Facts in red overlaid on a Google Street map with as few extraneous details as is necessary to understanding the scene of the crime.
As the local PD reacts to the Public Relations nightmare that is BikePortland.org more “facts” leak out: some are actual fact and some are police supposition. When it can be verified it gets added to the map.
Then commenters can reference the map in their comment drawing wilder and wilder theories until the truth comes out.
sounds like a dinner party
this is my nephew he was just going to work like a responceable person that your girl should not have been on the road
I pray for a speedy recovery for your nephew.
Making a mistake while riding a bike under bad weather conditions is NOT a crime. People driving a vehicle do it all the time, accidents are accidents. Hitting someone and then running them over is an entirely different matter. The bicyclist never lost conciousness, he made eye contact with the female driver before being hit. There was room in the road and time for her to change what she was going to do. She got scared for HERSELF and left this young man for dead! THAT IS A CRIME AND SHOULD BE PUNISHED BY LAW!!!
I obviously have more of an inside view of what actually happened that fateful morning. Have a little compassion people…it will go a long way in your own life and the lives of others.