Portland Police have issued a statement on a fatal collision that happened early this morning on Southwest Barbur Boulevard.
According to the PPB, it happened just after midnight near the intersection of Barbur and SW Parkhill Drive. This is three miles south of Portland City Hall and just north of the Vermont viaduct.
Officers responded to what they thought was single car collision, but when the arrived they were contacted by the driver of the car, 30-year-old Ivan Cam. Cam told officers he thought he hit someone who was walking. Upon further investigation, the officers found a body lying in the street.
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Cam was arrested and booked into Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Reckless Driving, and Manslaughter II. The PPB is still investigating this crash and needs more witnesses. If you saw it or have any information, please can PPB non-emergency line at (503) 823-3333.
This is the 12th person to die while using Portland streets so far this year. Nine of the 12 victims have been vulnerable road users: four were walking, two were motorcycling, two were sleeping, one was bicycling.
UPDATE, 3/18 at 4:40 pm: The Multnomah County DA’s office has just released a new statement on the case…
“Today, Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill announced that a three count charging document was filed against 30-year old Ivan Cam for allegedly causing the death of 39-year-old Iulia Hanczarek.
Cam is charged with one count of manslaughter in the second degree, one count of driving under the influence of intoxicants, and one count of reckless driving…
During the investigation, law enforcement learned that shortly before the crash Cam was at a downtown Portland bar where he consumed at least two drinks, according to court documents.
Cam told police he was traveling approximately 50 miles per hour when his window “suddenly exploded,” according to court documents. After the impact, Cam stopped his vehicle, turned it around which is when he realized he struck a pedestrian. Cam called 9-1-1 and remained on scene until police responded, according to court documents.
When officers arrived and contacted Cam, they reported noticing a smell of alcohol coming from his breath, according to court documents.”
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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Thank you for reporting on this, Jonathan.
Really bad infrastructure and a culture of drunk driving make just walking around PDX in the evening terrifying. I know there are big plans for Barbur with the light rail corridor but it feels wrong on every level to have to just wait for a light rail to get built.
Can i borrow your printing press please ?
Typo: please can PPB non-emergency line at (503) 823-3333. Should be “call.”
If you feel changes are needed to this notorious section of our transportation network, some pertinent contacts would be:
Shelli.ROMERO@odot.state.or.us
zachary.horowitz@odot.state.or.us
kristen.stallman@odot.state.or.us
While this corridor seems deserted, there are ~ 100+ people living full time between the I5 and Barbur viaducts and under the bridges. That makes a lot of pedestrians on the shoulder.
I live very close to this area. I don’t think there are 100+ homeless in this immediate area. 30 maybe but I think 100 is a stretch. I walk on the paths in that area and there is very little of the very visible homeless signs.
The Slavin road camps have ebbed and flowed over the years. When you combine the Slavin road apartments and outdoor residents, the numbers are in the 100’s. I mentioned the campers because they are often overlooked and ignored, and they are walking Barbur daily and nightly. Policy makers do not account for the vulnerable.
I think the 100+ must include the residents of the apartment complex that is, in fact, between Barbur and the freeway.
hats is correct: there is a sizable number of people camping on the land between Barbur and I-5. I see them every day, walking up Barbur to get food and supplies from Fred Meyer, Safeway, and other stores on Barbur. This stretch of Barbur has four lanes for fast-flowing auto & truck traffic, and non-continuous bike lanes (they disappear at the Vermont and Iowa viaducts). There is no sidewalk til you reach SW Brier Place, and absolutely no way to walk safely on this stretch of Barbur.
I’m very sad to hear about the person who was killed, and I hope we find out more about that person. The very thing which attracts homeless people to this area – the isolation from built-up areas and the privacy it affords – has also allowed ODOT and PBOT to neglect this area and caused the conditions that endanger people who are not in cars and trucks.
That sucks.
Headlights, texting . Nope caint be. . .
Must be that ahhhh. . . .. you know the reason everthins visitin the outhouse. Or we can build more infrastructure. With ?
This year’s new category of “run over while sleeping” is troubling. I remember the details of those two. Not even the typical “They came out of nowhere” excuse works in those deaths.
UPDATE, 3/18 at 4:40 pm: The Multnomah County DA’s office has just released a new statement on the case…
One of my respected employee friends had to witness the result of this. Please try to show respect. These men, no matter how they chose to live, belonged to someone.