Often lost in debates about transportation in Portland is just how terribly selfish, irresponsible and reckless so many car drivers are. While daily debates get bogged down in things like who should pay for road projects or who’s at fault in crashes, the reality is that the most common dangerous behaviors we see in public come from car drivers.
Case(s) in point, the Portland Police Bureau just released a roundup of some of the incidents they responded to over the long weekend (since Thursday evening) and I was shocked — but absolutely not surprised — by how many of them included car-related violence. As you read them below, consider the danger these drivers put innocent people in. Also consider the vast time and resources they suck from city employees who must deal with the misdeeds of these motorized miscreants (emphases mine):
— On Thursday, May 25, 2023, at 4:47p.m, North Precinct officers responded to a call involving a 3 vehicle crash on the St. John’s Bridge. The suspect vehicle, a blue 2006 Kia Rio 4-door sedan, impacted the back of a white 2019 Nissan Kicks SUV, which pushed that vehicle into a gray 2019 Toyota Tacoma pickup. The suspect driver drove off, but his vehicle caught fire due to the damage caused by the crash. He drove over 4 miles with his car burning but was forced to stop at Northwest 29th Avenue and Northwest Yeon Avenue. The first arriving officer saw the suspect trying to walk away. He lost sight of him around a corner, but a search with the help of witnesses led them to locate and arrest the suspect near a business in the 3300 block of Northwest Yeon Avenue. A Traffic Division officer evaluated the suspect for DUII. Andrew Jay Johnson, 22, of Vancouver, Washington, was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC) for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (alcohol), Reckless Driving, and 2 counts of Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver (property damage).
— At 7:30p.m., FIT officers tried to stop a vehicle in the area of Southeast 86th Court and Southeast Ellis Street. The vehicle began driving erratically after seeing police vehicles. The vehicle eluded and occupants ran from the vehicle. One passenger running away dropped a loaded handgun, which was seized as evidence. No immediate arrests were made, but the investigation is ongoing. (23-138155)
— At 9:05p.m., FIT officers saw a vehicle on Southeast 122nd Avenue and East Burnside Street that had eluded police recently. The vehicle exited the lot and began driving quickly through residential neighborhoods. Officers attempted to stop it, but again, the driver eluded police. The driver parked at a dead end in the area of Southeast 117th Avenue and Southeast Yamhill Street and ran on foot. She was surrounded and arrested. Two loaded firearms were recovered from the vehicle. River M Agrelius, 24, was booked into MCDC on charges of Attempt to Elude Police by Vehicle (C Felony), Attempt to Elude Police on foot (A misdemeanor), Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Possession of a Loaded Firearm in Public (city code).
— On Friday, May 26, 2023, at 10:46p.m., an East Precinct officer saw a blue 2005 Toyota Corolla sedan going eastbound on Southeast Stark Street at Southeast 122nd Avenue. The officer developed probable cause to stop the vehicle, but the driver of the Toyota preemptively began eluding the officer. When the officer activated his emergency police lights, the driver refused to stop. Due to policy restrictions, the officer did not pursue and turned off his emergency lights. Officers in the Air Support Unit and on the ground observed the driver of the Toyota driving in an extraordinarily reckless fashion for approximately the next 29 minutes, despite no officers chasing him. The driver was speeding nearly triple the speed limit, ran numerous red lights and stops signs, drove in oncoming travel lanes, forced other vehicles to swerve to avoid crashes, including a near-miss of two motorcyclists that likely would have been fatal. Officers used spike strips to deflate the Toyota’s tires so the rubber was torn off and the vehicle was running on rims. The driver traveled through Portland, Gresham, unincorporated Multnomah County, and various areas of Clackamas County, ultimately turning into a hay field in 11700 block of Southeast 282nd Avenue in Boring, Oregon. The driver then jumped out and tried to hide in the tall grass. Officers and Deputies tracked him and arrested him. Shawn A. Camp, 38, was arrested and booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of Attempt to Elude Police by Vehicle (C Felony), Attempt to Elude Police on foot (A misdemeanor), Reckless Driving, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, and a felony parole warrant issued by the State of Oregon. PPB is grateful for the invaluable assistance of the Gresham Police Department, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s office, and Oregon State Police.
— At 2:54a.m., Central Precinct officers responded to a report of a wrong way driver on Interstate-5 freeway. The driver was reported to be driving northbound in the southbound lanes. A moment later officers learned that the driver caused a crash with another vehicle at the Southwest Capitol Highway southbound on ramp. Andres C. Qunitero, 21, of Canby, Oregon, was issued a criminal citation for ORS 813.010 Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants-Alcohol and Reckless Driving. The other driver was not seriously hurt.
— At 12:11a.m., East Precinct officers responded to a report that a suspect had menaced employees with a firearm at a fast-food restaurant drive through in the 9100 block of Southeast Powell Boulevard. Officers arrived and challenged the suspect in a 2015 white Audi Q5 SUV with no license plates. The driver reversed out of the parking lot and eluded officers. The employees did not want to pursue charges against the suspect and the vehicle was allowed to flee due to dissipating probable cause. At 3:25a.m. Central Precinct officers responded to a report of the white Audi with no plates stopped at Northeast 12th Avenue and Northeast Flanders Street blocking the intersection. The driver was slumped over, unconscious. Officers could see from the outside that there was a gun in the car. Due to the additional potential danger of the firearm, officers tried to call to him from a distance. He was not very responsive but finally woke up and tried to drive away. Officers were able to deflate a tire with spike strips, but he continued driving away in a reckless manner. With only reasonable suspicion of DUI, the vehicle was allowed to flee because the benefit of capture did not outweigh the risks.
— Moments later, Central Precinct officers spotted the Audi as it pulled into a parking garage in the 1100 block of Northeast Lloyd Boulevard. The driver stopped in a parking spot and seemed to have slumped again. Again, knowing the suspect was armed, tactical and safety plans were made, resources were gathered, and exits were covered with spikes to again attempt custody. The vehicle was loud hailed, and the driver again fled the area at a high rate of speed; not before hitting one of the spike strips. The vehicle was located again, driving at high speed near Northeast Grand Avenue and Northeast Broadway Street. But again, due to policy and public safety concerns, the vehicle was not pursued, and was lost in the blocks. At about 6:43a.m., North Precinct officers responded to the 2100 block of Northeast Wasco Street of a driver moaning and rolling around inside of his vehicle. The front driver tire was completely gone, and the rim was destroyed. Again, the suspect refused to comply with officers, and drove off, hitting pre-deployed spike strips and deflated his remaining three tires. He eluded eastbound Wasco Street without anyone pursuing. The driver then crossed barricaded sidewalks and recklessly drove into a parking lot at Northeast 28th Avenue.
— It was approximately 7:30a.m. and there were many people walking dogs, jogging, and enjoying the morning. The suspect then drove northbound on Northeast 32nd Avenue with no tires left on his vehicle. The suspect then drove over the barricaded sidewalk at Northeast 32nd Avenue and Northeast Schuyler Street, then through a yard where four children were on the front porch. The driver was struggling to gain traction as he was attempting to drive away through the neighborhood, which put the community at more of a risk of death or serious physical injury due to the time of day. When officers challenged him, he got behind the wheel and tried to elude again, officers used their vehicles to box in the suspect vehicle. Officers challenged him from a safe distance in an effort to lessen the risk of injury and use of force. The suspect then jumped out and ran off on foot. Officers caught up with and arrested him at Northeast 32nd Avenue and Northeast Hancock Street. Officers were unable to identify him at the scene, so he was booked under the name Colton Hobbs (which was a false name he provided) on charges of Attempt to Elude Police by Vehicle (3 counts), Attempt to Elude Police on foot, Reckless Driving (3 counts), Reckless Endangering Another Person, and Failure to Carry and Present Driver’s License. At jail, his fingerprints were scanned and he was identified as Dylan Jordan Savage, 29. Savage has outstanding felony warrants out of Tennessee.
— At 11:55p.m., North Precinct officers were dispatched to a report of a crash near North Marine Drive and North Bybee Lakes Road. When they arrived they found a vehicle crashed into a tree. Both male occupants were transported to the hospital with serious injuries, one of which is life threatening. Due to the level of injury, the Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division’s Major Crash Team responded to the scene to investigate. Initial investigation revealed that the crash was speed racing related.
— At 2:40 a.m., East Precinct officers were dispatched to the 200 Block of Southeast 160th Avenue on the reports of a shooting. Officers arrived to find a 16-year-old male with a gunshot wound to his leg. They retrieved their Individual First Aid Kits (IFAKs) and applied a tourniquet to the victim’s leg, and he was later treated at a local hospital. The shooting originated from a vehicle that had immediately left the scene. Nobody is in custody. ECST is actively investigating.
— Just after 10:26 p.m. on Monday, May 29th, officers from North Precinct responded to a crash at the intersection of Northeast Columbia Boulevard and Northeast Cully Boulevard involving a motorcycle and a car. The motorcyclist was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. The driver of the car stayed at the scene and cooperated with the investigation. Due to the level of injury involved, the Major Crash Team was activated for the third time of the holiday weekend. Based on their preliminary investigation, they determined speed and alcohol influenced the motorcyclist’s driving ability.
I don’t think you have to be “anti-car” to acknowledge that our city would be a much nicer place to live if we created a system where fewer people drove cars and that we should do much more to encourage them to do so humanely.