Police search for driver in hit and run on Hwy 30 – UPDATED

Sauvie Island Strawberry Ride

The collision occurred less than a mile
north of this location on Highway 30.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a hit and run that happened early Friday morning on Highway 30 just north of NW Quarry Road (north of Sauvie Island Bridge, about 11 miles north of downtown Portland).

The man who was hit while riding his bicycle is Joseph Anderson, a Portland resident. A friend of Anderson’s tells me he is “an avid cyclist.”

Here are a few more details from the MCSO:

The hit and run occurred… sometime before 5:30 a.m. The victim has been identified as Joseph Anderson, of Portland. Mr. Anderson is a white male, 5’8, 135lbs, with dark hair. He was riding northbound on Highway 30 just south of N.W. Quarry Road. Mr. Anderson was wearing a grey baseball hat, a white or silver wind breaker, a dark colored shirt, blue jeans and black athletic shoes at the time of the accident. The bike he was riding is a Marin Mountain Bike grey in color.

Anderson’s injuries are severe. He might have been hit more than once before someone stopped and came to his aid. He has been taken to Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland. I don’t know many other details at this point. I’ll update this story as I find out more.

If you have any information about this incident, please call the MCSO at (503) 261-2810.

UPDATE: KATU reports tonight that Anderson has been upgraded to fair condition.

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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Stig10
Stig10
13 years ago

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2011/02/hit-and-run_driver_sought_in_us_30_bike_crash.html

Paraphrasing the comments:
What was he wearing? That’s a dangerous area to ride alone. What was he doing out so late? Maybe he swerved into the car/truck.
It’s like he’s a girl who’s been raped for being out late in a short skirt. Disgusting.

Jeremy Frazee
Jeremy Frazee
13 years ago
Reply to  Stig10

Evidently in your world it’s okay to blame the victim. So much for compassion and concern. Callous disregard is not something to be proud of.

Jay R.
Jay R.
13 years ago
Reply to  Jeremy Frazee

It appears that you didn’t understand this person’s comment at all.

“What was he wearing? That’s a dangerous area to ride alone. What was he doing out so late? Maybe he swerved into the car/truck.” were all comments from OregonLive.

“It’s like he’s a girl who’s been raped for being out late in a short skirt. Disgusting.” was Stig10’s comment about the disgusting victim-blaming going on in those comments.

Vinny
Vinny
13 years ago

With great inertia comes great responsibility.

Ted Buehler
13 years ago
Reply to  Vinny

+1 !
Ted Buehler

bikeaholic
bikeaholic
13 years ago
Reply to  Vinny

Was that just off-the-cuff? Stan Lee would approve. That would make a fantastic slogan for safer-streets/share-the-road campaigns.

Steve B
Steve B
13 years ago

Let’s all hope for a quick recovery for Joseph. There is no excuse for a hit-and-run, I hope they find the driver.

Joe in Wilsonville
Joe in Wilsonville
13 years ago

first Comment just wrong..

Joe in Wilsonville
Joe in Wilsonville
13 years ago

as in oregonlive comments.

buster mcfly
buster mcfly
13 years ago

My thoughts and prayers are for a speedy recovery and a quick find of the driver before he victimizes another.

joe adamski
joe adamski
13 years ago

I saw on oregonlive that he was upgraded to fair condition, so thats good news..

Alan
Alan
13 years ago
Reply to  joe adamski

Yes, that is good news. KOIN is also reporting that, and KATU has a picture of the wrecked bike. Rear wheel is destroyed, very hard hit. The bike is equipped with front and rear lights.

Andycigarettes
Andycigarettes
13 years ago

I Haven’t read the Oregeonlive scream, but I’m pretty much always wary riding down 30. Especially at night. Just as I was years ago riding Barbur. That’s why I take the more circuitous route all through Portland to/from St. John’s. My heart to the cyclist.

Hot Rod
Hot Rod
13 years ago

I don’t ride in the middle of a 55 mph lane where 65 mph is the norm. The folks in the photo above are asking for it.

The first three rules of biking are:
1) Don’t do anything DUMB.
2) Don’t do anything DUMB.
3) Don’t do anything DUMB.

Riding in the middle of a high-speed highway violates all three rules.

malka
malka
13 years ago
Reply to  Hot Rod

“Asking for it”? I always thought there was “safety in numbers.”

Mark
Mark
13 years ago
Reply to  Hot Rod

“Asking for it?” The shoulder’s closed in that picture, all bike traffic would have to move off the shoulder into one of the travel lanes.

No one is asking to be hit by a careless driver. I’d like to ask for more responsible and attentive road users, looking out for other traffic. I’d like to ask for people to have the most basic human courtesy and stop to aid an injured person, instead of just driving on, trying to cover their own guilty ass. From what I see time after time in stories like these, I’m asking too much.

Lynne
Lynne
13 years ago
Reply to  Hot Rod

The cyclists in the picture are doing exactly what they should be doing. They are not impeding traffic, and the shoulder is closed. If they were riding single file in the right lane, they’d be inviting motor vehicles to buzz them, rather than passing safely in the other lane.

TM
TM
13 years ago

Here’s to a hopeful full recovery for Mr. Anderson. And here’s to hoping the cowardly driver(s) responsible turn themselves in.

random rider
random rider
13 years ago

And the description of Mr. Anderson’s clothing is relevant… why? Not blaming you Jonathan, I know you’re just passing on the report as printed, but it is disturbing to me that this should be considered important information by the reporter.

the peoples republic....
the peoples republic....
13 years ago
Reply to  random rider

It is relevant because it could be a contributing factor in this tragic event. It’s not difficult to understand that dark colored clothing makes it more difficult to be seen.

Why do the makers for cycling gear tout the benefits of lights and reflective clothing? Because they increase the likelihood of being seen and thus the probability of being hit.

Why does it matter if a cyclist or driver has a seat belt on? Because safety devices like seatbelts and helmets are proven to reduce the severity of injuries in most cases.

I don’t understand the hypersensitive approach to what is a factual piece of information

I am not saying the poor kid brought this on himself or that the driver is not at fault but these events are not always black and white.

We bear the responsibility of understanding and accepting the risks we take. Information like the facts of an event helps educate people on these decisions we all face whether we recognize them it or not.

the peoples republic....
the peoples republic....
13 years ago

edit:
ecause they increase the likelihood of being seen and thus DECREASE the probability of being hit.

And most importantly I pray that Joseph recovers fully and that the perp is caught.

Argentius
13 years ago

I have to believe the questions and comments here, on a cycling forum, about Anderson’s (so glad to hear he’s not critical!) clothing are mostly out of our own fear and interest.

None of us wants to be next. We’re all at risk riding amongst cars.

I’ve ridden that road plenty of times, but never at night. It can be scary.

I think we are all trying to visualize the accident before it happened, to the best of our abilities.

Do we see a serious cyclist, with reflective and high-visibility clothing, riding a smooth, steady line towards the right of the road?

If WE were driving, since many of us have at least driven motor vehicles, would we clearly see the cyclist?

No doubt about it, the hit-and-run is unconscionable. I do not think this invalidates our questions regarding the cyclists’ level of safety — though perhaps, given his injuries, it is not the best time to ask them.

Jim O'Horo
Jim O'Horo
13 years ago

Agreed that’s an ugly stretch of road. I’ve ridden it many times over the past 17 yrs. & it seems to get worse every year as traffic levels increase.

Regarding the pic of riders in the lane: It seems there’s always some construction going on in that vicinity. When I come on a set of barrels set up on the shoulder like that, if the shoulder is still rideable I go between the early barrels and ride the shoulder as far as possible. Then I stop, look for a break in traffic, get in the lane and ride as fast as I can to get past the construction zone. Is that strictly legal? Probably not. Does that disqualify me as a true-blue vehicular cyclist. Probably, but after 17 years of doing it routinely, I’m still here to talk about it.

Here’s hoping Joseph Anderson makes a complete recovery and the ##@%# who left him there spends more than a few years in jail.

Hot Rod
Hot Rod
13 years ago

The cyclists in the photo are riding 3 or 4 abreast. They are taking up most of a traffic lane. They should be single file.

Yes, automobile drivers should see them and avoid hitting them but the fact is that drivers are distracted by many things, they are moving at ~ 90 ft/second and things happen very fast. Cyclists have a responsibility to themselves and to the car drivers to stay to the right, out of the way, to the greatest extent possible. That’s just the way it is. If the above photo were the beginning of a video where 6 cyclists were run over and killed by a distracted driver, I would have to fault the cyclists at least to some degree.

Some Dude
Some Dude
13 years ago

As a driver, it is our responsibility to be aware of upcoming hazards in the road. If there were a slow moving car, street-sweeper, or any number of other slow vehicles, in the road and the driver had rear-ended that vehicle, it would be illogical to blame the person who is already using the lane ahead.

As a cyclist, I don’t blame train tracks or speed bumps for being there. I take responsibility for going too fast or not having enough visibility if I take a fall because I KNOW that there are always hazards awaiting me.

Any driver should know by the time that they are licensed that they are responsible for their neglect behind the wheel.

I live in Corvallis right now for school, and if you want to see stupidity on two wheels, come on down. But, when I drive my car I am aware of this, so I am that much more careful because I am not the one with the fear of being crushed.

Get well soon, Joseph.