(Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
Late Tuesday night around 10:30 pm Portland Police officers responded to a traffic collision on North Killingsworth street just west of I-5. When they arrived an adult male bicycle rider was on the ground near the intersection with N Minnesota suffering from what police say were “life-threatening” injuries.
The driver of the car that hit the bicycle rider was not at the scene and is currently on the loose as a hit-and-run suspect.
This section of Killingsworth has an unprotected, paint-only bike lane adjacent to a mix of parked cars and curb extensions. The speed limit is 20 mph and traffic volumes and speeds are relatively low. When I first heard about this crash I assume it happened at the Minnesota intersection, which is a de facto onramp to I-5 — which means many drivers make the turn onto it from Killingsworth without necessary caution.
I have since heard from a source who lives near the intersection that another nearby resident responded to the crash and stayed with the victim until the ambulance arrived. They say the impact was further west near N Montana and that, “The car accelerated and left his body about 100 feet from the original impact.” Based on markings from the investigation seen at the site this morning, the driver and bike rider were headed eastbound prior to the collision.
The police have opened an investigation and there’s a good chance one of the businesses adjacent to the collision has video footage. If you saw anything or have information to share, please email crimetips@portlandoregon.gov and reference case number 22-336821 .
UPDATE: 12/23 at 9:54 am: The victim of this collision is John Baker, a 49-year old Portland resident. According to his adoptive sister, he was born in Panama and was adopted into an American family from a USAF base when he was 5. He owns a carpentry business, loves to surf, and is the grandson of the Chief of the Kuna Indians. His sister has made a Facebook page to provide updates. On that page she says he remains in the hospital and his mom has arrived to be with him. His injuries are serious and he is being stabilized, but the full extent of the collision’s impact is yet to be known. He has many broken bones and severe head and neck injuries. Please keep him and his family in your thoughts. I will update this post as I hear more.
A GoFundMe has been set up.