The Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division have located a tow truck and driver involved in a hit-and-run collision that injured a 16-year old boy who was riding his bicycle. The incident occurred at around 10:50 a.m. at the intersection of SE 7th and Taylor. According to the PPB, the boy was riding southbound on 7th when the driver of the tow truck turned right onto Taylor. Sounds like a classic right-hook.
No arrests have been made and “investigation into the circumstance of the crash is continuing,” according to a Wednesday afternoon news release.
PPB officers responded to the scene and found a “teen-aged male bicyclist” suffering from “traumatic but not life-threatening” injuries. The officers soon learned that the young man was hit by someone driving a tow truck and that the person fled the scene. The man has been taken to the hospital where he’s being treated for his injuries.
Investigators are trying to learn more about the tow truck. So far, it has been described as a flat-bed and it was last seen traveling westbound on Taylor.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the police non-emergency line at (503) 823-3333.
The Oregonian has a photo taken at the scene while the rider was still on the ground being treated by first-responders.
SE 7th is the main north-south bike route on the central eastside. This intersection has commercial use on three corners and an apartment building on the other. In general, this area can be quite unnerving to ride (and drive) in. It’s also directly adjacent to the U.S. Post Office. SE Taylor is a common way that people bike to and from downtown via the Eastbank Esplanade.
This is the third serious hit-and-run collision in the past three months involving someone on a bike. In June, Mike Cooley was hit and left on the ground severely injured while biking home from work up N. Interstate Avenue. Then just a few weeks ago Henry Schmidt was hit while walking his bike on SW Barbur Blvd.
We’ll have more on this latest hit-and-run as details become known.
Update 4:13 p.m.: The above post has been updated to reflect news that police had “located” the truck and driver involved in this collision.