Collision on SE Ankeny at 24th sends bike rider to the hospital

View westbound on Ankeny right before 24th.

At around 8:30 am this morning a man was biking westbound on Ankeny when he was involved in a collision with someone driving an SUV.

The report first came from Facebook from someone who says they saw it happen. Here’s the account I was flagged on:

“Just saw someone in SUV Traveling at around 30 mph roll the stop sign on SE 24th Street and Ankeny (which is a designated bikeway) and hit a guy on a bike. The guy on his bike was headed west on Ankeny and had the right of way ( no stop sign). He was thrown about 15 feet. I called 911 and the ambulance and cops arrived within 5 minutes. The young man on the bike looks like he has a broken leg and wrist. The woman who hit him was sobbing hard as the cop interviewed her. Hitting someone on a bike with your car will mess them up. Please slow down and pay attention in town.”

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I’ve confirmed the crash with the Portland Police Bureau. Sgt. Christopher Burley said officers responded and spoke with both parties. Here’s his statement:

“Officers collected the bicyclist and driver’s statements regarding the crash and assisted with an exchange. The bicyclist was transported to an area hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life threatening. No citations have been issued at this time.”

Ankeny is a very popular neighorhood greenway route. It’s one of our “legacy greenways” that was designated as a cycling priority street back in the 1990s. When Portland Bureau of Transportation re-evaluated the greenway network in 2015, they decided it needed “operational improvements” due to major office and housing growth in the area that has led to more driving and higher driving speeds. In the past few years PBOT has added more diverters and has flipped stop signs on Ankeny so bicycle riders don’t have to stop as much.

In this case, the witness above says the driver failed to stop prior to the collision (the bike rider didn’t have to stop). Sgt. Burley says the responding officer only exchanged information — something done when police feel the crash would be better left for the insurance companies to deal with. It’s unclear from his statement if an investigation was done (a prerequisite for a citiation), or if the collision will be counted in official Oregon DMV data. I’ve followed up to find out and will update this post when I hear back.

If you have any information about this crash, please call non-emergency at (503) 823-3333.

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

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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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Toadslick
5 years ago

Every single time I read about a driver hitting a person walking or biking in this town, my heart skips a beat while I think about all the people I know that use the route and could possibly be the victim.

My heart goes out to person biking and I hope the best for their recovery.

At all times of the day, but especially during rush hour, their are too many cars rolling through stop signs, with poor visibility due to parked cars, when crossing our neighborhood greenways. This is a serious problem that needs to be dealt with before more people are injured or killed. A cheap, fast fix that many people have suggested here would be to ban parking near intersections of greenways.

soren
soren
5 years ago
Reply to  Toadslick

Parking within 20 feet of a curb is already explicitly illegal in Oregon.

https://www.oregonlaws.org/ors/811.550

PBOT intentionally ignores this law because they prioritize vehicle storage spaces over the safety of vulnerable road users.

Dan A
Dan A
5 years ago
Reply to  soren

It’s hard for me to believe anything PBOT has to say about Vision Zero until they come into compliance with the law.

resopmok
resopmok
5 years ago
Reply to  Dan A

PBOT doesn’t enforce the traffic laws last I checked. I call parking enforcement a lot, and they are often responsive, but only during office hours. We need more parking officers available 24/7, steeper fines for violating parking laws, lack of ability to register a vehicle with unpaid tickets, and more pro-active citizens who report violators. As-is, parking laws are violated with impunity and there is little consequence for doing so.

soren
soren
5 years ago
Reply to  resopmok

They help set the policy that PPB enforces.

resopmok
resopmok
5 years ago
Reply to  soren

If this is true, and the policy is in writing, it should be possible to file some sort of injunction that removes their authority to set such policies until they are in compliance with ORS. Now, I’m not a lawyer, but I’m pretty sure the government has to follow its own rules or open themselves to a suit, no?

mark
mark
5 years ago
Reply to  resopmok

I have an audio recording of PBOT director Leah Treat admitting that enforcement of this statute was “complaint driven.” I counted 110 violations on my way to work one day. Who has time to call in that many individual violations?

soren
soren
5 years ago
Reply to  resopmok

For that to happen we would need some radical cycling advocacy in this town.

:crickets:

John Lascurettes
5 years ago
Reply to  resopmok

Since PBOT/ODOT loves paint so much, couldn’t we just paint the curbs red for 20 feet from every corner?

X
X
5 years ago
Reply to  resopmok

You really can’t call in every one. I used to get wound up about wrong-side parking. Heavy sigh. But, we could all call in one. You’ll know it when you see it.

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  resopmok

My understanding is that painted curbs have no legal meaning here. It might deter some people, but would not result in any legal change.

Spiffy
5 years ago
Reply to  resopmok

I’ve also thought about just getting the correct traffic color red and painting curbs… sure the paint might not mean anything, but it’s a visual reminder of the law that does actually mean something…

paikiala
paikiala
5 years ago
Reply to  resopmok

Spiffy,
Portland uses yellow. you’re thinking of somewhere else.

Dan A
Dan A
5 years ago
Reply to  resopmok

The city owns and maintains marked (and sometimes even metered) parking spaces in Portland that are illegal under Oregon law. The city is illegally making money off of these spaces. Are painted parking spaces on Portland roads not under PBOT’s jurisdiction?

paikiala
paikiala
5 years ago
Reply to  Dan A

Local road authorities make local rules for their local roads.
That said, the rules have recently changes.

Middle of the Road Guy
Middle of the Road Guy
5 years ago
Reply to  resopmok

I would love to see more parking enforcement as well, but we will then get the hand wringing over complaints that it is not “progressive” and harms low income people more.

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  Dan A

PBOT is not “out of compliance with the law”. Unless they’re parking their cars near an intersection, that is.

Spiffy
5 years ago
Reply to  Hello, Kitty

the water and police department vehicles are often parked illegally downtown…

paikiala
paikiala
5 years ago
Reply to  Spiffy

Police have police powers, so it would be difficult for any of their vehicles to be ‘parked illegally’.
Utility companies often have blanket permits, so they have a permit to use parking spaces and roads for other than usual purposes.

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  paikiala

Not so. It’s quite possible for the police to act illegally. Enforcement of such behavior, on the other hand, is quite a different matter.

Spiffy
5 years ago
Reply to  paikiala

a lawyer used the citizen initiated citation process to issue a ticket to an illegally parked PPB officer in their patrol car…

and the vehicle codes make it clear that it’s legal for utility workers to park where they need to ONLY when they’re required for their job…

mostly those breaking the law are being lazy and not actually doing it as part of their job…

pixie
pixie
5 years ago
Reply to  soren

Yet another area where enforcement improves safety and yields revenue.

soren
soren
5 years ago
Reply to  pixie

Except that it doesn’t because those who do the enforcing do not see this illegal and dangerous behavior as a significant problem.

The fear of possibly dying, broken bones, and possible additional internal injuries?

“Non-life-threatening.”

Middle of the Road Guy
Middle of the Road Guy
5 years ago
Reply to  soren

Illegal does not always mean dangerous. A cyclist running a stop sign at an empty intersection is illegal, but not overly dangerous.

paikiala
paikiala
5 years ago
Reply to  soren

It’s also a common erroneous conclusion that Vision Zero is about eliminating all crashes. It is not.
It is about eliminating all fatal and serious injury crashes.

soren
soren
5 years ago
Reply to  paikiala

IMO, a “crushed vertebrae in [their] lower back” is a serious injury.

That being said, it is important to note that vision zero is not a pro-active transportation policy. For example, in Sweden vision zero is associated with the imposition of new restrictions on cycling.

mark
mark
5 years ago
Reply to  soren

ORS 811.550(17). The city is criminal in its failure to enforce this law, in many cases even signing illegal parking spaces. I pass through this intersection twice every day, and see vehicles, often tall ones, parked all the way up to the sidewalk.

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  mark

Vehicles over 6ft near corners are prohibited by the city.

Dan A
Dan A
5 years ago
Reply to  Hello, Kitty

Are they prohibited next to crosswalks? This spot is frequently occupied by very large service trucks. You have to step into the crosswalk before you can see traffic coming from your left.

https://goo.gl/maps/ZSfm1GoGfe12

Eric Leifsdad
Eric Leifsdad
5 years ago
Reply to  mark

(17) Within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection.
(18) Within 50 feet upon the approach to an official flashing signal, stop sign, yield sign or traffic control device located at the side of the roadway if the standing or parking of a vehicle will obstruct the view of any traffic control device located at the side of the roadway.

They could put stop signs in the middle of the street and save a few parking spots (or lives, which are also important.)

Spiffy
5 years ago
Reply to  Eric Leifsdad

Portland City Code 16.20.130 Prohibited in Specified Places.

(Amended by Ordinance No. 165594, effective July 8, 1992.) Except when specifically directed by authority of this Title or when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic, it is unlawful to park or stop a vehicle in any of the following places:

A. Within 50 feet of an intersection when:

1. The vehicle or a view obstructing attachment to the vehicle is more than 6 feet in height; or

2. Vehicle design, modification, or load obscures the visibility or view of approaching traffic, any traffic control sign, any traffic control signal, or any pedestrian in a crosswalk.

This regulation does not apply to the area of the street where the direction of traffic is leaving an intersection on a one-way street.

parking any type of vehicle that obscures visibility is a violation… can’t park an SUV with dark tinted windows close to an intersection…

I’ve had good luck with parking enforcement citing tall box vans parked on corners…

CaptainKarma
CaptainKarma
5 years ago
Reply to  Spiffy

Thank you. I know of a white Sprinter van @60th & Belmont who will teceive this info on a sticky note 3 times, before being referred to city.gov for further enlightenment.

Resopmok
Resopmok
5 years ago
Reply to  CaptainKarma

Seriously, just call parking enforcement, (503)823-5195. It takes three minutes of your time; the ticket will be all the information and motivation they should need to not park there anymore. When the prompt asks “How is the vehicle illegally parked?” you say “Over 6ft vehicle is parked within 50 ft of an intersection.”

Spiffy
5 years ago
Reply to  CaptainKarma

if you did that you’d be breaking the law… Portland City Code 16.70.510 prohibits leaving notes on people’s vehicles…

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  CaptainKarma

What a law abiding bunch you all are!

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  soren

Parking by the curb is illegal in the same sense as marijuana is… a higher authority has said it’s illegal, and a lower authority has said it’s not. The feds could arrest purveyors of marijuana here, just as the state police could ticket people parking too close to the curb.

Dan A
Dan A
5 years ago
Reply to  Hello, Kitty

I’m curious how it would work if the state police gave this driver a ticket for parking in the marked and metered space that they paid the city to use:

https://goo.gl/maps/ymULUyrsWaq

Entrapment?

Joe
Joe
5 years ago
Reply to  Dan A

I’m far less concerned about parked cars at signalized intersections than non-signalized intersections. I ride SE Ankeny every summer and visibility can be challenging at many of those intersections. I’ve seen cars come that I presume are at a full stop begin to blast through an intersection only to find a biker approaching and then having to hit breaks after moving 10 feet.

Dan A
Dan A
5 years ago
Reply to  Joe

Portland has plenty of those too. Here’s another marked and metered spot that the city is illegally making money from:

https://goo.gl/maps/qKUj8ZmUyLq

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  Dan A

The city is probably violating RICO statutes — PBOT is clearly engaged in a conspiracy to make money in violation of the law. I’d suggest contacting a federal prosecutor.

Dan A
Dan A
5 years ago
Reply to  Dan A

What is the purpose of your comment?

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  Dan A

It’s an illustration of the incorrectness of your claims that the city is somehow behaving illegally with this parking situation. At worst they have deprioritized enforcing a law; it may be that individuals are breaking the law by parking near corners, but that’s not the city’s action.

mark
mark
5 years ago
Reply to  Dan A

Actually marking and metering illegal parking spots is not just deprioritizing enforcement, it’s actively encouraging drivers to break the law.

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  Dan A

The bottom line is that this is a political issue, not a legal one. If you want the rules changed, or (if you prefer) the enforcement of the rules changed, seek a political remedy. Relying on a legal argument will result in exactly nothing happening.

paikiala
paikiala
5 years ago
Reply to  Dan A

Dan,
Local road authorities set local rules for local streets they control.
That said, the rules have recently changed.

Spiffy
5 years ago
Reply to  Dan A

paikiala, the City of Portland does not have the authority to override the laws of the ORS… and the ORS that’s being violated has no exemption allowing a local authority to change it…

Doug Klotz
5 years ago
Reply to  soren

And PBOT, including Leah Treat, claims that there’s an exemption in the law that allows cities to allow parking there. When pressed, though, she has been unable to come up with that exemption language. But what legal action would force PBOT’s hand? Any ideas?

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  Doug Klotz

Even if that’s not true, PBOT/the police/whomever has pretty broad discretion to prioritize enforcement of certain violations and deprioritize others.

David Hampsten
David Hampsten
5 years ago
Reply to  Doug Klotz

Doug, I’d look at the Federal, state, and local ADA language. Presumably the corner parking is blocking ramps and sight-line distances for sight- and mobility-impaired residents.

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  David Hampsten

If it’s blocking ramps, it’s blocking the crosswalk, and is certainly illegal.

David Hampsten
David Hampsten
5 years ago
Reply to  Hello, Kitty

Yes, that’s true, but Doug is asking how one can best sue for change, and the ADA lobby tends to be more effective than the bike lobby in most of the USA.

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  David Hampsten

Sorry, my post was unclear. What I meant to say was that the parked cars in question aren’t blocking the ramps.

David Hampsten
David Hampsten
5 years ago
Reply to  David Hampsten

It doesn’t really matter. In order to cross safely, an ADA user needs to not only see oncoming traffic, but also be seen by the same traffic. As you and others have rightly pointed out, the point of the corner parking ordinances have to do with the ability for all users to see all traffic at an intersection, including foot traffic and mobility devices users. The parked cars may or may not be blocking the ramps, which may or may not exist, but the parked cars can’t be blocking the view of those ADA device users who are crossing. So the “ramp” is not just the 3 feet of sloped concrete with the yellow bumps on it, but everything that comes with it: the nearby sidewalk, the curb, the sight-line, flashing beacons, etc.

paikiala
paikiala
5 years ago
Reply to  David Hampsten

David,
Does a local lawyer in your local jurisdiction agree with your layman’s interpretation?

Spiffy
5 years ago
Reply to  Doug Klotz

write the ticket yourself using Oregon’s citizen initiated citation law…

ORS 811.550 seems to allow no exemption for a local jurisdiction’s paid parking…

make sure the media knows that you’ve issued the citation, and why you did it…

let it play out in court…

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  Spiffy

Has anyone actually done this and taken it to the end? I know that several people have started the process, but I’ve never heard of anyone finishing it.

I’d love to see a practical how-to guide developed.

Middle of the Road Guy
Middle of the Road Guy
5 years ago
Reply to  Spiffy

Man, I could probably write 2 dozen a day for the Mexican bakery by my house. There are cars parked in the bike lane on Vancouver many, many times a day.

Steve Scarich
Steve Scarich
5 years ago
Reply to  soren

Every city in Oregon(well at least the four that I have lived in), ignore this law. I asked a Bend official why that was and his response was something along the lines of ‘if we enforced that law, we would lose hundreds of spaces, and, besides, cops have better things to do).

Momo
Momo
5 years ago
Reply to  soren

The ORS law applies to state highways and not local roads.

mark
mark
5 years ago
Reply to  Momo

Wrong.

“Highway” means every public way, road, street, thoroughfare and place, including bridges, viaducts and other structures within the boundaries of this state, open, used or intended for use of the general public for vehicles or vehicular traffic as a matter of right.

paikiala
paikiala
5 years ago
Reply to  Momo

Correct.
Local road authorities make local laws for the roads they have jurisdiction over.

Dan A
Dan A
5 years ago
Reply to  paikiala

Fine. It’s hard for me to believe anything PBOT has to say about Vision Zero until they come into compliance with Oregon law and NACTO/FHWA recommendations.

https://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/intersection-design-elements/visibility-sight-distance/

https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/saferjourney1/library/countermeasures/56.htm

soren
soren
5 years ago
Reply to  paikiala

“Local road authorities make local laws for the roads they have jurisdiction over.”

And those laws cannot preempt state law.

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  soren

How do state marijuana laws override federal drug law? Is marijuana legal or illegal in Oregon?

Spiffy
5 years ago
Reply to  Hello, Kitty

state marijuana laws do not overrule federal ones… just like city laws do not overrule state ones… marijuana is still illegal in the eyes of the federal government and they can arrest you for it… it’s not illegal in Oregon so the Oregon police and city police within Oregon will not arrest you…

as you say, the city makes this illegal parking legal by not enforcing it… it’s still illegal at the state legal and you can get a ticket for it, but the city police aren’t initiating those tickets because they don’t want to… so in effect the City of Portland is making dangerous parking at intersections mostly legal… it usually takes multiple reports of a violation for them to enforce it, and even then I’ve received responses from the Portland Parking Bureau that they can’t be bothered to use their resources sitting in court defending tickets for violations that people will try to get out of…

David Hampsten
David Hampsten
5 years ago
Reply to  Hello, Kitty

Actually, if you read your constitution(s), you’ll find that certain kinds of law have federal precedence over state or local laws, and others the reverse:

Article [X] (10th Amendment – Reserved Powers)
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  Hello, Kitty

Right. The commerce clause has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to give the feds authority over… everything, 10th Amendment notwithstanding. In the context of weed, this has been specifically litigated and resolved.

Dan A
Dan A
5 years ago
Reply to  paikiala

If this is true, I wonder why Portland waited for HB 2682 to pass before lowering residential speed limits to 20mph. Why not just set whatever speed limit you want?

anita
anita
5 years ago
Reply to  soren

I don’t think I fully understand what this comment has to do with the story…

soren
soren
5 years ago
Reply to  anita

The lack of clear sight lines due to illegally parked vehicles increases the risk that cross traffic will hit vulnerable road users on neighborhood greenways.

John Lascurettes
5 years ago
Reply to  Toadslick

Please, yes. When I used to occasionally get rides from my wife after we dropped our son off at Buckman Elementary years ago it was difficult to cross Ankeny because of cars parked right up to the corner (usually trucks and SUVs).

Chris
Chris
5 years ago

I live literally right there (can see my house in the picture). And whether I’m walking or biking on Ankeny, there are many people who turn off Burnside and come into the stop sign fairly hot. It makes you question if they are going to stop at all. The street parking is generally full, so visibility is limited and a lot of drivers don’t creep out like they should. I hope the cyclist isn’t too banged up physically/mentally.

David Hampsten
David Hampsten
5 years ago
Reply to  Chris

I used to ride Ankeny whenever I needed to go downtown from East Portland. Like a lot of other people, every time I rode that stretch I was afraid I’d be the one to get hit – so many blind corners, so many fast vehicles crossing against the stop signs, always scarred the s**t out of me. Unfortunately, all the alternative routes were even worse.

Al
Al
5 years ago

Drivers sometimes confuse 2 way stops for all way stops especially in a neighborhood where they just proceeded through several all way stops, often rolling through those. As a driver, sometime motorcyclist and frequent bicycle commuter, I find that drivers make this mistake most often when I approach an intersection on a bicycle rather than a car or motorcycle. While I would be quick to reach for the “not seen as a bicycle” excuse, I do ride with at least one, sometimes multiple blinking front lights even during daylight.

So the conclusion is that once all way stop signs start appearing in a neighborhood, any remaining 2 way stop intersections become more dangerous especially for bicyclists.

B. Carfree
B. Carfree
5 years ago
Reply to  Al

As you say, they most often run the stop sign if the vehicle with the right of way is a bike. It’s not so much that they can’t determine the right of way (one of the very first lessons of drivers’ training is to identify the nature of the intersection controls as you approach), it’s that most car-addicted people cannot conceive of having to yield the right of way to someone on a bike.

John Mulvey
John Mulvey
5 years ago
Reply to  B. Carfree

Exactly right. Every biker has encountered the drivers who seem to find it galling to have to yield to a bicyclist. It isn’t a mistake, and they’ll continue to do it with impunity until there’s meaningful enforcement.

Spiffy
5 years ago
Reply to  B. Carfree

you’re both right… there are both types of people…

I’m puzzled by the people that don’t even seem to care about who has what traffic controls or right-of-way at the intersection and just kinda coast into it and then out… these people don’t even check the cross streets to see if cross traffic has a stop sign… they creep into the intersection and then floor it, no matter what traffic controls exist…

and there are the people that just don’t get that bicycles are vehicles on the road and that you need to pay special attention when you don’t interact with them enough and you’re not sure how the physics are going to work… they think you’re on a toy going half a mile and hour and they have all the time in the world because you won’t be at the intersection for another couple minutes… they dart into the intersection and suddenly there you are about to crash into them because they didn’t take the time to actually see how fast you were going and that you were an immediate hazard…

and it’s all because speed is prized over everything else…

paikiala
paikiala
5 years ago
Reply to  Al

Al,
All way stops have an extra sign (ALL WAY). Such confusion implies a different issue.

soren
soren
5 years ago

“Sgt. Burley says the responding officer only exchanged information”

A person driving runs a stop sign while speeding (30 mph is 10 mph over the limit) and the law enforcement officer fails to issue a citation.

We do not have an enforcement problem. We have a Portland Police Bureau culture problem.

Strawman
Strawman
5 years ago
Reply to  soren

How do you know the driver was going 30 mph?

John Lascurettes
5 years ago
Reply to  Strawman

Witness testimony. Maybe it wasn’t 30, but we all pretty much know what over 20 looks like.

Dan A
Dan A
5 years ago

And sounds like. When I’m outside working in the yard I can hear cars speeding in my neighborhood a block or two before they pass by the house. I’m able to confirm their speed on the reader sign after my house, and have gotten pretty good at guess-timating. 20mph is very quiet. 30 is not.

David Hampsten
David Hampsten
5 years ago
Reply to  Strawman

Based upon the injuries sustained, it sounds more like 30 mph.

Buzz
Buzz
5 years ago
Reply to  soren

not only didn’t they issue a citation, they apparently didn’t even take witness statements…

Edward
Edward
5 years ago
Reply to  soren

The lack of a citation is more a statement of how our system works (or doesn’t). Police almost never write a citation for something they didn’t see, because a trial will be set, and the officer isn’t a lawyer, doesn’t have staff to make sure witnesses were subpoenaed etc. This is why they changed the laws on domestic violence abuse situations. The police pretty much have to arrest somebody in that scenario. That kick-starts the whole thing and gets a deputy district attorney involved, etc. But cops like to arrest and cite cases which can be proven with officer testimony alone. Like if there’s a wreck and the person was intoxicated, then you’ve got criminal charges. Otherwise you’ve just got run of the mill negligence.

If y’all seriously want Portland police to issue citations in these cases, you’re probably going to want to start by talking to the District Attorney’s office. Otherwise complaining at the injustice of a lack of citation is like protesting that the sky is up. That’s just how it is.

soren
soren
5 years ago
Reply to  Edward

The officer could not see the stop sign or the victim with multiple apparent fractures and additional possible internal injuries? Let’s also recall that injuries thst the police have characterized as non-life- threatening have resulted in death or permanent disability.

If the victim had been a wealthy SW citizen in their mercedes SUV you can be damn sure a ticket would have been issued.

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  soren

I’d bet the officer knew neither the victim’s address nor his wealth when making the decision not to cite. Again, an excellent point in the first half of your comment spoiled by a gratuitous and irrelevant poke in the second.

soren
soren
5 years ago
Reply to  Hello, Kitty

The driver of the SUV is seen as a normal person who made a “mistake”, while the vulnerable road user is seen as an “other” who is intentionally engaging in dangerous behavior.

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  soren

I think the decision not to cite (wrong as it was) depended entirely on the first half of your statement, and not at all on the second. I don’t believe it is common practice to cite a driver for rolling a stop sign when there is a “minor” collision between motor vehicles. Do you have any reason to think it is?

Middle of the Road Guy
Middle of the Road Guy
5 years ago
Reply to  Hello, Kitty

He very frequently manages to work class into it. Definite pattern.

soren
soren
5 years ago
Reply to  Edward

Traffic citations do not involve the DA.

John Lascurettes
5 years ago

“Officers collected the bicyclist and driver’s statements regarding the crash and assisted with an exchange. The bicyclist was transported to an area hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life threatening. No citations have been issued at this time.”

Sgt. Burley says the responding officer only exchanged information — something done when police feel the crash would be better left for the insurance companies to deal with.

Gah! This is so frustrating. When it is abundantly and extremely clear that there was a violation (no matter how you slice it) that caused serious injury (they might not be life-threatening, but they’re serious) to a VRU, why is absolutely no citation written? Why is the VRU law not invoked?

Dan A
Dan A
5 years ago

‘The officers, who spend 20 hours a week or more driving around the city, found the driver’s behavior to fall within the parameters of average driver behavior and therefore issued no citations.’

Belynda
Belynda
5 years ago
Reply to  Dan A

Unbelievable! So they spend 20 of their $50 work hours cruising around NOT citing drivers who run stop signs???!!!! I guess oppressing black people and protesters doesn’t leave much time for real public safety.

Dan A
Dan A
5 years ago
Reply to  Belynda

In 2016 Multnomah County sheriff’s deputy Kent Krumpschmidt ran over Stephen Heberling at the east end of Sandy BLVD in Wood Village. He was driving 33mph in a 25mph zone with his headlights off. Afterwards, there were conflicting accounts of what happened. Heberling “at first radioed that someone had jumped in front of his cruiser, then later told investigators that he actually hadn’t seen anyone.”

“10 days later, when he talked to the Portland detectives, Krumpschmidt said he was focused on the road, saw a dark object, but didn’t see a person or realize that the Caprice had run over anything.”

“Sgt. Sean Mallory, who arrived a short time later, told investigators that Krumpschmidt said he had turned around at a dead end and was looking at someone in the Camping World lot, hit something and then stopped immediately and saw Heberling.”

http://www.oregonlive.com/gresham/index.ssf/2017/05/deputy_who_ran_over_man_gave_d.html

Krumpschmidt was intimately familiar with the area, had patrolled it hundreds of times, and knew people regularly walked around the area at night. Why was driving 33mph with his headlights off? Why was he not cited for doing so?

“Deputy Kent Krumpschmidt wasn’t at fault in the collision, two Portland police investigators found in a review of the crash.”

David Hampsten
David Hampsten
5 years ago

She was crying. “The woman who hit him was sobbing hard as the cop interviewed her.” She has remorse. It’s actually kinda difficult to say who will be more traumatized by the event on the long-term: the driver who may soon be diagnosed with ongoing PTSD and need ongoing help; or the bicyclist with the broken bones.

Pat Lowell
Pat Lowell
5 years ago
Reply to  David Hampsten

She was probably crying so the cop would go easy on her, and it worked.

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  Pat Lowell

Seriously, what kind of person would be upset if they just caused serious injury to another person? She’s probably laughing about it with her friends right now.

David Hampsten
David Hampsten
5 years ago
Reply to  Hello, Kitty

If she is, she’ll probably post it on Facebook. Once you get her name, check out her site.

Spiffy
5 years ago
Reply to  Hello, Kitty

I know your comment is sarcasm, but it’s the typical hit and run mindset… people are crying and afraid because they got in trouble, not because they hurt somebody… they often go home and complain about the injustice of letting people ride toys on the road…

so yes, it’s quite believable that she cried at the scene and has absolutely no remorse…

Dan A
Dan A
5 years ago
Reply to  David Hampsten

When you put it that way, it makes me realize we need to act quickly to remove all of these human obstacles from the city to prevent any further trauma to drivers.

John Lascurettes
5 years ago
Reply to  David Hampsten

I have very little sympathy for the driver. I get how this will traumatize her, but it is from her own reckless actions. I will feel sympathy when she takes responsibility for the collision and takes care of the rider.

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago

I feel sympathy for her, even though the way it was described, she was 100% at fault.

John Lascurettes
5 years ago
Reply to  Hello, Kitty

I have *little* sympathy. And I won’t have more until restitution is paid to the injured.

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago

Whatever is paid will likely come from the insurance company. It would be fitting if her insurance rates go up, but it also seems likely that the driver will be a lower than average risk going forward.

B. Carfree
B. Carfree
5 years ago

I would feel sympathy for her if I thought she was deeply concerned about the damage her decision to driver recklessly caused. I have a friend who gave up driving forty years ago because she ran a red light. She didn’t hit anyone, but she decided she wasn’t capable of driving in an adequately safe fashion to allow herself to get behind the wheel again. Similarly, if this person chooses to give up driving, I’ll be very sympathetic towards her. If she continues to drive, I don’t believe she feels the slightest remorse.

soren
soren
5 years ago
Reply to  B. Carfree

I viscerally feel like I could maim or kill a person every time I drive. It’s one of the main reasons that I avoid driving if at all possible.

Spiffy
5 years ago
Reply to  B. Carfree

I used to be a horrible driver, and got into crashes… I didn’t stop driving… instead I started driving by the letter of the law and as carefully as I could… now I’m setting an example… or annoying the law breakers around me… either way is good…

Ick
Ick
5 years ago
Reply to  David Hampsten

Pretty sure they’ll both deal with on going PTSD.

CaptainKarma
CaptainKarma
5 years ago
Reply to  Ick

The driver will probably slow down and be much more careful…for a month.

B. Carfree
B. Carfree
5 years ago
Reply to  CaptainKarma

You’re quite the optimist. I was thinking she might slow down for a bit under a day. After that, she’ll be back to her “normal” habits (whatever those are).

buildwithjoe
5 years ago

Hey John. Looks like we need to get everyone trained on how to issue citizen citation training by lawyers Mark Ginsberg and Ray Thomas.

Also see my post at 8pm. I did not have the time to be on this news thread while it was hot. I’d like to think someone would have posted direction action. I’m all for talk that leads to action so please call…

call the Mayor and demand a meeting on these uncited deadly drivers

(503)823-4120 Mayor Ted is the boss of the cops, and he can change their policy

Here’s my full post from 8pm
https://bikeportland.org/2018/04/13/collision-on-se-ankeny-at-24th-sends-bike-rider-to-the-hospital-275387#comment-6890942

.

Spiffy
5 years ago
Reply to  buildwithjoe

I would love to work with somebody that has been through the citizen initiated citation process so that I can know I’m navigating it correctly…

rachel b
rachel b
5 years ago

Rolling through stop signs, running solid red lights–all standard driver behavior here now that I never saw in Portland prior to the past 5-10 years or so.

A broken leg and wrist may not be “life threatening” (why oh why do I hate so much that dismissive statement? “no worries! not life threatening!’) but if he depends on his bike to get around, he’s extremely inconvenienced, and for some time. Also–a broken leg and/or wrist can present complications for life. And they hurt. A lot. “Not life threatening,” though, so nothing to see here, people, everyone’s ok.”

I hope the driver learns something from this. I can’t believe my eyes, the number of slack and selfish and reckless drivers I see routinely, on a daily basis, now. Seemingly no concept of how potentially fatal they are.

Ned
Ned
5 years ago
Reply to  rachel b

The problem is that they really don’t know how fatal they are. I don’t even have a car, and I’ve always been cautious at intersections, but I was never truly aware of how brutal getting hit by a car is until it actually happened. People who never really walk or bike simply have no idea.

Spiffy
5 years ago
Reply to  rachel b

until I stopped driving I had no idea how dangerous cars were or how vulnerable I was… society hides the horrors of these machines thanks to corrupt politics…

rachel b
rachel b
5 years ago
Reply to  Spiffy

The “are not aware”/ignorance thing is true, but it’s always been true. And we didn’t used to have the epidemic of scofflaw, selfish/reckless drivers we do now–not even close to the same numbers. So it’s more than simple lack of awareness and ignorance. Our latest breed of human is an off-the-charts narcissist and self serving to the max, and it shows up in everything–from simply walking on a sidewalk to driving. Community-mindedness has gone the way of the dodo.

rachel b
rachel b
5 years ago
Reply to  rachel b

(this nested weirdly–supposed to be under Ned’s and Spiffy’s responses to my original comment)

rachel b
rachel b
5 years ago
Reply to  rachel b

OK–this wound up in the place i meant the other comment to go–! Anyway–posted a response to you, Ned & Spiffy–it’s just somewhere else, mysteriously)

SilkySlim
SilkySlim
5 years ago

Tough stuff to read 30′ before the commute ride home…

One rule of thumb I plan on teaching my kids regarding driving: if you are encountering stop signs anywhere besides the first/last couple blocks of your route, you are probably doing it wrong.

No clue whether this drive was following my admittedly broad rule, but seeing how often people try to find alternate routes than arterials during the morning rush commute….

David Hampsten
David Hampsten
5 years ago
Reply to  SilkySlim

It’s those #$!@! GPS units in people’s cars or on their phones. They give directions based upon the fastest least congested streets, which are often residential bikeways. Every city in the USA is now suffering from neighborhood cut-through drivers speeding 10-20 mph over the local limit, hitting pedestrians, dogs, cats, bicyclists, and of course other cars.

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  David Hampsten

If only there were a way to divert people from these neighborhood routes!

David Hampsten
David Hampsten
5 years ago
Reply to  Hello, Kitty

There’s a rapidly expanding set of literature on such strategies. BP once had an article from a town in New Jersey that used strategically-placed diverters and parked cars to block non-local traffic. I’ve also heard of scrambling technology to block wifi signals, mostly in churches and government buildings, but there’s no reason it couldn’t be used in a wider context for health and safety reasons. One-way streets work in west Vancouver near Stanley Park. East Portland’s network of dead-end cul-de-sacs and no-outlet streets is also a possibility for inner Portland – which is rather ironic of course.

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  David Hampsten

Jammers are highly illegal, and using one will likely result in a visit from federal law enforcement. And it makes no sense to jam wifi in a building… if you don’t want people using your wifi during services (or whatever), just turn it off or change the password.

(Here’s a story about a guy who got busted for installing a cell phone jammer in his car in order to keep nearby drivers from talking while driving:

https://www.cnet.com/news/man-put-cell-phone-jammer-in-car-to-stop-driver-calls-fcc-says/)

David Hampsten
David Hampsten
5 years ago
Reply to  Hello, Kitty

So is marijuana possession, at least on the Federal level, but that doesn’t stop its use, nor jay-walking and parking at the corner on a local level. I’ve seen jammers used in public libraries, city buildings, airports, and churches in the US, including in Portland Oregon. True, I haven’t seen it used area-wide except by the feds and apparently Russian spies in DC, but since the technology is out there, one can assume criminals and black-hat hackers now have it, as well as nefarious librarians and priests.

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  David Hampsten

The technology is readily available. And you can make your own much more cheaply.

https://www.jammer-store.com/gsm-blockers-jammers/

JP
JP
5 years ago

Why in the hell weren’t any citations issued???

My husband was hit in the exact same way (crossing an intersection on a designated bike route in possession of the right of way and struck by a driver who rolled a stop sign). He ended up with a lower back injury that eventually ended his racing career and his ability to get any joy from riding a bike. Even though his injuries were relatively “minor,” they were still life changing, and that really sucks.

Todd Boulanger
Todd Boulanger
5 years ago

There needs to be a more comprehensive deployment of using stop bars at 2 way intersections along bikeways…such as this location.

J_R
J_R
5 years ago
Reply to  Todd Boulanger

Most people have no clue what a stop bar is. If motorists routinely treat a stop sign as a yield, do you really think a stripe of paint on the pavement is going to cause them to stop?

X
X
5 years ago
Reply to  Todd Boulanger

I think at a cross street stop sign on a so-called greenway something more than a thermoplastic stop bar is needed. Maybe some rumble strips from the center line of the pavement running out 4′ towards the gutter? Driver must dismount, walk to the curb, and solve a sudoku? Whatever it takes.

I’ve seen ample proof that for many motor vehicle operators an Idaho stop on neighborhood streets just isn’t that big a deal. Greenways are embedded in neighborhood streets. People riding bikes on greenways get strafed all the time by crossing traffic. I’ve never had a really close one but when you see a vehicle blow through half a block away? A few seconds more or less and there goes me.

What’s the story PBOT? How does the greenway thing seem today?

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  X

We used to have little rubberized stop signs in the middle of the street; those always struck me as effective, but PBOT seems to have phased those out years ago.

David Hampsten
David Hampsten
5 years ago
Reply to  Hello, Kitty

I prefer huge concrete Jersey barriers myself. I dare any car to roll over one.

Spiffy
5 years ago
Reply to  Hello, Kitty

there’s still a couple of those in Eastport Plaza… they get destroyed by traffic and are hazards for anyone on 2 wheels, so they stayed with just standard stop signs and paint…

mark
mark
5 years ago

I thought police were required to write a report if anyone has to take an ambulance from the crash scene.

B. Carfree
B. Carfree
5 years ago

Go get ’em, JM.

Seriously, the police response, actually lack thereof, so far is absolutely horrid. However, it does explain a lot about Portland’s problem with stagnating ridership, even in the face of a growing congestion problem that should have turned the tide in favor of active transportation. Even if PBoT was the most amazing bureau on the planet a broken police department can undo all their efforts.

J_R
J_R
5 years ago

The police think that a non-life threatening injury is something better dealt with by insurance companies. They probably also believe that, as long as its only a bicyclist who is killed, a death is something better dealt with by an undertaker.

The lack of a citation will undoubtedly be used by the auto owner’s insurance company as an excuse for the “fact” that the bicyclist was partially at fault. As long as the motorist was sobbing, that clearly shows remorse and the absence of any intent and, therefore, it was “just an accident.”

Sickening.

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  J_R

You believe there would be a different outcome if the driver had struck another car (and caused similar injuries)?

paikiala
paikiala
5 years ago
Reply to  Hello, Kitty

Striking another car and causing similar injuries would be a crash at 40-50+ mph and totaled vehicles, indicating a much more dangerous individual.

Dan A
Dan A
5 years ago
Reply to  paikiala

Rolling a stop sign against a greenway is dangerous enough for me, thanks.

Lake McTighe
Lake McTighe
5 years ago

This crash should be counted as a crash in ODOT crash data since the bicyclist was injured. It would be a travesty not to count it when “property damage only (PDO)” crashes over $1500 are counted. If the man riding the bicycle broke his leg and wrist I am sure the costs will be higher than $1500 not to mention his pain and suffering.

Andrew Kreps
Andrew Kreps
5 years ago

I have at least two dozen instances of failure to obey traffic control device on video. And I only ride ankeny about once a month.

Middle of the Road Guy
Middle of the Road Guy
5 years ago
Reply to  Andrew Kreps

We can all find the proof we need to show that neither drivers nor riders obey traffic control devices consistently.

Belynda
Belynda
5 years ago

I wonder what the cops’ reaction would be if all riders using this route changed to Burnside. In the middle of the lane.

John Lascurettes
5 years ago
Reply to  Belynda

Meanwhile I had a guy honking and hollering at me on SW 6th the other day for not riding in the door zone. He was mainly trying to get around the traffic on Grand.

John Lascurettes
5 years ago

Oh, and he ran a red (like really stale red) when we got to Davis.

Spiffy
5 years ago

you were in the way of the dream that the car company promised to them… standing in the way of things that people are promised makes them mad, mad enough to ignore any traffic controls if they get a chance to go around you…

X
X
5 years ago

Well the person who blew the stop was evidently no longer a threat. Pretty unlikely they will run over another person again today. Of course, if they had remained at the wheel it might have been necessary to say “Sorry Sir or Ma’am, at this point my training requires me to shoot you several times.”

Police fail.

maxD
maxD
5 years ago

mark
I have an audio recording of PBOT director Leah Treat admitting that enforcement of this statute was “complaint driven.” I counted 110 violations on my way to work one day. Who has time to call in that many individual violations?Recommended 3

PBOT is about the re-stripe Greeley. They have stated that a prime impetus for the project is the high speeds of people driving there- median speeds are 56 and 59 mph! However, they are WIDENING the ouside lanes to 12′ and 13′. When I mentioned that may lead to an increase in speed, guess what the City’s official solution was? You guessed it! I can call PPB and request speed enforcement! This is PBOT’s solution DURING the design process- they are never going to even begin working toward Vision Zero with this attitude.

John Lascurettes
5 years ago
Reply to  maxD

Grrr!

X
X
5 years ago

“See you’re pretty messed up there bud, feel your pain, in my role as facilitator I’ll just put this note with the other party’s license number in your jersey pocket here, right? No harm no. . .–mean to say, walk it. . .you can’t walk eh? Well suck it up then!”

yep, sarcasm

sparkscycle
sparkscycle
5 years ago

I bike this neighborhood every day; I work a block away. I needed to drive today (I know, it felt weird) and saw the police vehicles and ambulance as I was about to turn down 24th to park. I couldn’t see what was going on but I knew. And I thought what we all do: it could have been me. If I’d biked, I would have been at that corner within five minutes or less of that accident.

I get hoarse yelling at drivers who look like they are going to roll the stop sign into me, and I’ve been cursed at, flipped off, yelled at. Too bad. This happens.

That corner has gotten worse with the construction the past few months. I witnessed some construction workers hit a bike with a ladder because they weren’t looking behind them. (She let me know late she was okay.) Visibility at that corner is awful.

My heart goes out to the cyclist. I hope healing is straightforward and relatively easy.

By the way, thank you for posting. I knew I could come here and find out if indeed this is what had happened.

Doug Klotz
5 years ago

We need a law requiring police to file a report if anyone is injured, not just if they go to a hospital in an ambulance.

SD
SD
5 years ago
Reply to  Doug Klotz
soren
soren
5 years ago
Reply to  SD

. But what about when a driver knowingly assaults a cyclist? “I’ve heard of plenty of cases where riders get knocked off their bike—sometimes intentionally—and officers just write it off,” Jacobson’s lawyer, Mark Ginsberg, said.

buildwithjoe
5 years ago

Please call the Mayor and demand a ticket now (503)823-4120

a) Cars blow off stop signs and roll into bikes ( See Picture below Nov 2 SE Clinton)

b) Cars also stop, but then get impatient and roll into bikes who DO NOT HAVE A STOP

Police refuse to even show up unless you have one or both
1) $1500 or more in damage
2) A Serious injury
3) Driver who can’t give you valid license and valid insurance
4) DUI
5) Hit and Run
6) Hazardous spill

Even when they show up they refuse to investigate and cite drivers!!

Who? DRIVERS who had the duty to stop but hit a bike WHO DID NOT HAVE A STOP SIGN!!!! That’s who!!!

https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/article/33788

I was a witness to a car who had the duty to stop and stay stopped before entering SE Clinton at 27th. The cyclist with no stop sign was hit and forced to leave in an ambulance. No ticket. Nov 2nd, 2017

NO TICKET!!!!

The police did not consider this serious, and said they did not issue a citation. I sent all the data to Jonathan who contacted the police. He got them confirm NO TICKET!!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vpEue3Ig7u6YBdxhcO0-BOXfZeFMxubN/view?usp=sharing

Picture above!

Oh. Then there is the dead pedestrain #BenCarlson on a sidewalk killed by passed out driver (“Syncope”) named Douglas James Walker of Beaverton. He was able to leave the scene with no blood test. He was never given a ticket. Never. None. When I tried to get the police to issue a citation the Mayor’s staff (Hales) Deanna Wesson-Mitchell said to me quote “no laws were broken” NO FVCKING LAWS WERE BROKEN??

I’ve made a google doc to document this nationwide pattern of cops who let drivers get away with killing people without even a citation

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1br_9fmxJpQ4z9tDEB4cdAYJTe-hIzE7R8qBLRizCTJI/edit?usp=sharing

You might say I’m kinda obsessed with the cause and effect. And then in August 2016 my own student was mowed down on Hawthorne and the driver let out on bail.

I think I need to find a legal way to carry a hazardous fluid with my bike at all times so that when I get nailed by an illegal car I can say I have a condition and need a police investigation.

Please call Mayor Wheeler and demand a policy change

(503)823-4120

..

David Hampsten
David Hampsten
5 years ago
Reply to  buildwithjoe

I feel your cynicism. IMO, it’s perfectly justified.

I lived in Portland for 17-18 years. I thought Portland was “different”. And it was, for a while. But now it’s just like the rest of America – it has all the right policies, but doesn’t enforce any of them having to do with vulnerable people, just for the rich and the powerful.

I’m cynical enough that I moved to where it’s very cheap and warm, North Carolina, knowing the politics, street grid and bike/walk situation here sucks. But then it sucks in Portland and pretty much everywhere else too, so what’s the difference? At least here people have no illusions of change, so they tend to be more friendly and a lot nicer to each other, black, white, Latino, Syrian, Congolese, little green aliens from Alpha Centuri, and Swedish Volvo middle managers. And, yeah, they speed and fly through stop signs here too – 20% of traffic deaths here are pedestrians.

Spiffy
5 years ago
Reply to  buildwithjoe

they still allow drivers to illegally abuse the center lane on Hawthorne… it’s so obvious and easy to enforce, but they don’t… sickening…

buildwithjoe
5 years ago

Hi David. A cynic is an idealist who can’t cope. I can cope just fine. In fact I’m asking you and everyone to take action. Please call (503)823-4120 and demand enforcment and citations of deadly drivers.

David Hampsten
David Hampsten
5 years ago
Reply to  buildwithjoe

In this day and age of robocalls, I’m skeptical of your calling strategy – it’s a bit too passive even for an idealist who can cope. I’d think an in-person appointment with him would be a better and more effective use of your time, especially if it was you and several others of varying backgrounds and districts. Even testifying to Council, presenting a paper-petition signed by a few thousand local residents (BP readers), would be more likely effective.

buildwithjoe
5 years ago
Reply to  David Hampsten

David , the advice you suggested was in my posts proir to your submission. So you read my mind but not my comments.. I’ve called and demanded a meeting. Please call and ask them to call back when a meeting is scheduled

(503)916-4120

buildwithjoe
5 years ago

When you call the mayor(503) 823-4120 the staff will downplay your words.

What is the consequence of not citing deadly drivers?

Demand a public meeting or town hall on this.

$9.3 Million.

That is the cost to Portland taxpayers. That was just paid by the city because a Portland cop met up with an abusive and illegal driver ( no license) and the cop failed to impound his car or detain him. Later the Meth induced driver would hit a pregnant woman who would die after years in a coma. Her child was born and lived.

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2018/04/woman_struck_by_driver_high_on.html#incart_target2box_default_#incart_target2box_targeted_

“The lawsuit also faulted the city of Portland after one of its police officers twice responded to 911 calls from people about Whiteaker hours before he struck Cayla Wilson. The officer didn’t arrest Whiteaker even though he was acting erratically, scaring customers at a Southeast Portland Blockbuster video store, running through strangers’ yards and staring into a woman’s window. Whiteaker also had driven to the area with a suspended license. ”

Call (503)823-4120

Jeremy Atkins
Jeremy Atkins
5 years ago

Hey everyone, I was the cyclist involved in this incident. I am happy to report that I amazingly have no broken bones, but do have a crushed vertebrae in my lower back. I ride that path everyday on my commute from my house on Fremont to my office on 9th and Pine. Everyday I watch cars run this particular stop and many others on my trip to work. I guess today was my lucky day. I’m off to some much needed sleep in the hospital after a long day, but it sounds like I am headed home tomorrow afternoon. Thanks so much for posting Jonathan, and thanks for everyone’s concern.

buildwithjoe
5 years ago
Reply to  Jeremy Atkins

Glad it was not worse. Please get a lawyer. I would donate to hire one and Sue the city if they don’t cite the driver. I suggest Mark Ginsberg as a bike lawyer. Other good bike lawyers are Bob Mionski and Ray Thomas of Thomas and Coon.

Perhaps a class action suit that includes no ticket for the identical victim to you on Nov 2nd on the Clinton Greenway, and Ben Carlson who’s killer was never cited.

Peace and justice.. Joe

J_R
J_R
5 years ago
Reply to  Jeremy Atkins

By all means, GET A LAWYER. Keep detailed records of your pains, sleeplessness, pills, etc. My sister-in-law was put through the wringer by the insurance company, which claimed all kinds of stuff, based on lack of records and tried to attribute everything to prior activities and injuries. And she spent days in the hospital and had multiple surgeries. The motorist and her insurance company are not your friends!

K'Tesh
K'Tesh
5 years ago
Reply to  Jeremy Atkins

I’m glad to hear that your going to be OK. Like the other people have already suggested, get a lawyer. I was offered less than $2000 for my pain and losses after being hit by a driver in Beaverton. It took 3 weeks before I was able to convince my doctor (who I later “fired” for incompetence) to get me in a CAT scan. I had a non-displaced fracture of my tibia and my fibula was also fractured. On top of that, the scan discovered that my MCL was torn. While I still think I didn’t get enough for my settlement, I did eventually get enough to cover all my medical bills and lost wages (far exceeding the first offer from the insurance company).

younggods
younggods
5 years ago

I live on Ankeny a few blocks out from here. Cars parking right up to the corner is a huge problem. I know in parts of the Buckman neighborhood there are no parking signs some distance from the corners. This seems like an easy and cheap fix to greatly improve safety.

I don’t know what to think of these drivers blowing right through stop signs without even slowing down. I’ve seen people do it that look like they’ve got their eyes on the road, yet they somehow missed the sign. This happens way more often than I would’ve thought and has resulted in at least one wreck on the corner I live on. Maybe it’s time for an update to make them more visible.

David Hampsten
David Hampsten
5 years ago
Reply to  younggods

Traffic engineers have long known that if they place too many stop signs, people will simply stop “seeing” them and treat them as yield signs or even as if they aren’t there.

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  David Hampsten

It sounds like we crossed that point long ago. Though I don’t think there are more stop signs than there used to be.

paikiala
paikiala
5 years ago
Reply to  Hello, Kitty

There are more every day. Portland has about 10k intersections without traffic control.

Spiffy
5 years ago
Reply to  David Hampsten

the option is an intersection with no stop signs at all… drivers are usually less likely to yield to a cyclist coming from the street to their right as required… I trust the stop sign to at least make them admit they didn’t have the right of way…

although we still need the Idaho-stop law here…

SD
SD
5 years ago

Our normalization of driver-caused harm is astounding.
If a person had a sexually transmitted disease that could kill or cause life-long damage, and they infected someone via unprotected sex, people would be outraged and demonize them even if the risk of transmitting the disease was very low.
If someone drives in a way that risks other people lives, it barely gets a shrug.

paikiala
paikiala
5 years ago
Reply to  SD

You should look into crowd mentality. You’ll find examples everywhere.
Large groups that behave the same excuse their bad behavior. Small groups that behave badly are easier to label as the ‘other’ and prosecute.

SD
SD
5 years ago
Reply to  paikiala

I wanted to learn more about this, but all of the books at the library were checked out by Oregon state legislators and ODOT spokespersons.

Spiffy
5 years ago
Reply to  SD

a dentist had to pay a lady $1,000,000 for giving her herpes…

howrad
5 years ago

Similarly, I was hit in on a neighborhood greenway when someone drove through a stop sign and t-boned me at ~15-20mph. I have no doubt I’d be in worse shape if the road humps hadn’t slowed the car a bit.

PPB didn’t issue a citation or fill out VRU paperwork. I didn’t go to the hospital, but I had documented injuries. Even after a year, my knees still hurt, and I’m only able to ride a fraction of my previous mileage. My own PIP coverage came through, but I’m still left with long term concerns about knee integrity and if riding will ever be the same.

Wishing a speedy recovery for Jeremy. I strongly second the recommendation to get a good lawyer.

K'Tesh
K'Tesh
5 years ago

John Lascurettes
Since PBOT/ODOT loves paint so much, couldn’t we just paint the curbs red for 20 feet from every corner?Recommended 7

How about erecting bump outs that allow bikes and peds to travel, but “choke” the corners to improve visibility. I remember seeing a Streetsblog video recently with something like what I’m thinking of, but don’t remember where it was (in the US).

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  K'Tesh

Curb extensions? That’s a great way to improve visibility and safety for pedestrians.

paikiala
paikiala
5 years ago
Reply to  Hello, Kitty

$10k-$30k (drainage) per corner. Better reserved for crossing busy roads. Floating islands are cheaper.
https://goo.gl/maps/943UC5CqJy42

David Hampsten
David Hampsten
5 years ago
Reply to  K'Tesh

They have them in downtown Tuscaloosa Alabama. I’ve seen them elsewhere in the USA; they are very common in Europe. They are also described extensively in the Nacto guides. Nick Falbo designed a bunch.

jess
5 years ago

This is horrific. I take this route on daily basis, frequently biking down 24th and turning right onto SE Ankeney. As a biker who is not an idiot, I know that it is imperative to stop, and check before proceeding or turning, as bikes – rightly so – impressively whip up and down Ankeney. As it is, the newish crosswalks on Burnside at 24 are good to see, but I usually have to wait for a few SPEEDING cars to stop, or even get off my bike to make a show of walking it, until I’m able to cross. I have to add, it’s often an Uber or Lyft that’s driving quickly away from Screen Door pickups and drop-offs I see speeding by on 24th.

RH
RH
5 years ago

A broken leg takes up to 2 years to heal and even then you will never be the same. 6 weeks of being in bed unable to move, then moving to a wheelchair, then crutches, then a cane…plus 12 months of physical therapy. Plus another year to regain more mobility and strength. It’s a horrible injury that costs $85,000 if you don’t have insurance.