A pickup truck driver drove recklessly through a school playground on Friday and left several terrified people in his wake.
“He appeared to be targeting the playground… people in the park had to scoop up the kids and evacuate.”
— posting on Nextdoor
According to posts on Nextdoor that I’ve confirmed with the Portland Police Bureau, the incident began at Sunnyside School on SE 34th and Taylor on Friday at 11:20 am.
Here’s the eyewitness account posted on Nextdoor:
“A red pickup truck entered the school grounds on the sidewalk at 34th and Taylor, ran into one of the polls and drove quickly and erratically around the paved area and grass. It was a white male, approximately in his 30s, who appeared to be targeting the playground. It did not appear to a “joy ride” and the driver was either having a breakdown or on drugs… people in the park had to scoop up the kids and evacuate”
One person said it was likely the same driver “driving in a terrifying manner” at SE 30th and Salmon at around the same time. Another commenter on Nextdoor said they were walking their dog at SE 31st and Taylor and, “Saw the truck blast through the intersection… It was going so fast it terrified me.” And someone else chimed in to say “This must be the same car that went down Hawthorne at high speed and ran into a City of Portland car at 50th And Hawthorne.”
At least one person who read about the incident shared how it made them recall the violent intentional road rage incident in the nearby Buckman neighborhood back in January where one woman was killed.
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Portland Police Bureau Lieutenant Greg Pashley confirmed they received a call at the same time and location. “The call description was a vehicle doing ‘donuts’ in the grass.” Lt. Pashley said the driver was last seen headed southbound on SE 34th Ave. So far no license plate number or other substantial evidence has come to light and the PPB haven’t opened an investigation. The driver has not be caught. If you have more information, please call the PPB non-emergency line at 823-3333 and reference incident number 21-73602.
In addition to this rampage, there were two serious injury collisions involving a car driver last week.
On Wednesday (3/17) some suffered serious injuries and was transported to the hospital by ambulance after being struck while walking by a driver at SW 3rd and Pine in downtown Portland.
And on Friday (3/19) afternoon, police responded to a serious injury crash at Cathedral Park. According to a PPB statement, someone was walking on N Crawford Street under the St. Johns Bridge when they were struck by the driver of a car. The driver fled the scene and is still on the loose.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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