People are driving cars in Portland Parks, upsetting the traditional calm and carfree respite many seek when visiting them. Two recent incidents stand out as just the latest examples of an erosion of norms around safe driving.
On the night of Monday, July 8th a man was relaxing in Creston Park in southeast Portland when the driver of a blue SUV hit him and then fled the scene. The mom of the victim posted to Nextdoor in hopes of finding the suspect. Here’s an except from the post:
“He was lying on the grass and hit by a car ‘presumably joyriding’ through the park. He sustained multiple injuries and is healing. Although he was unable to clearly identify the make and model of the car, the car is blue – the car sustained a smashed windshield and dented hood due to the impact. His glasses, keys and headphones were strewn over 30 feet behind him, he was hit hard and head on. If you have any information or witness a car that may have sustained these damages in the last 24 hours, please reach out to the Portland PD. Thank you for keeping your eyes out for me.”
The victim gave an interview to KOIN TV that aired Friday. “I was just trying to relax a bit before bed,” the man said. “I’m laying down and headlights come in my peripheral, so I immediately stand up and I turn around, and the car is like directly in front of me.” The driver of the SUV was reportedly going “full speed” through the park prior to the collision. The impact left the victim with serious lacerations on his leg and face.
“If I wasn’t aware, I’d be dead,” the victim said.
Another person interviewed said they’ve seen people “doing donuts and other things with their cars” in the park.
And this past weekend, Sellwood resident Johnmark Larson reached out to share their concerns about people parking and driving in Sellwood Riverfront Park. Crowds have flocked to the park to cool off during summer, leaving no more room to legally park. “I first noticed the issue while riding down the Springwater on Sunday afternoon.” Larson shared. “I thought maybe there was a permitted event, but then I saw it all again last night and it’s clear this is the next step in anything-goes overuse of the park.”
Larson contacted the Portland Parks ranger hotline to file a complaint and says the staffer on the line had also seen people driving and parking on park grounds. Portland city code prohibits parking cars on parks properties without a permit.
This is just the latest example of how some drivers are so entitled and selfish they feel like laws don’t apply to them. Whether it’s speed racing on our streets, not having a license plate or current registration, driving on carfree paths, or destroying the calm and safety of our parks — it’s clear the lack of action by Portland city leaders to defend public space from miscreant car users has led to widespread normalization of extremely dangerous behaviors.
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Get a statement from Parks on what their plan is to deal with what’s going on at Sellwood Park.
I’ve asked and am waiting for a reply.
Can’t a tow truck just be called in to impound the vehicle? Seems like getting a car towed is an effective deterrent given the city probably doesn’t have the resources to ticket these cars
Ugh. I’ve also noticed this at Lents Park during events and Pickles games, dozens of cars parked on the turf and on top of tree roots.
My first routine encounter with this was a good 15 years ago when I was living on Peninsular and working in little downtown Kenton and walking through Kenton Park almost daily. It was super common for folks that were having big BBQ hangs to drive to the table they wanted to chill at. I now live in outer SE and this happens in Lents Park oftenish and sometimes in smaller spots like Bloomington Park, Raymond City Park and Gates Park. Add this to the Springwater drivers and dudes on dirt bikes at Powell Butte and it’s all so very common. I sorta hate Portland these days! So many things seem broken and I don’t see how we fix it all. I moved a couple time in my younger days to other cities and would hype Portland so much. And it was warranted. But if some friends from those other cities were up for a visit now I’d honestly be pretty embarrassed to show anyone around.
My only answer is happening in 60 days…. Selling and moving. It’s been a wild and extremely odd 11 years. Who knew I’d ever want to live in a tiny house in the forest after living in my 3bd/1bath in felony flats, but here we are.
we rode down to Sellwood Park on 4th of July and I was shocked to see that a quarter of the park was taken over for car parking? I had never seen that before. I couldn’t believe so many people fragrantly violated the law and that no cops were to be seen. I assumed it was just a holiday thing, I am saddened to hear it is a normal occurrence. I hadn’t heard about the poor person at Creston Park, that is horrifying. I live by another big park that I walk through 2-3 times a day and last summer, there was a huge problem of kids riding their motorcycles through it but I think the culprit was a nearby house selling/making meth, they’ve since been evicted and I haven’t seen this same lawlessness in the park since.
what the hell is going on in so many people’s brains to just ignore all common sense and laws? I am speaking on a larger level, as well as a local level.
Ugh. Tried to go to Sellwood Riverfront Park on Fourth of July (not sure what I was expecting), and there were cars parked all through the park on the grass, cars driving down the walking paths, and a huge procession of cars still coming in to park. Add in the motor vehicle nonsense around Oaks Park, and it was absolutely absurd.
Really need to have a parking enforcement officer down here most days in the summer. I’m also surprised that parking is free here. I’d think even the neighbors would want a timed-use parking fee to help keep spots open.
It’s sad to hear people are doing this, but after years of seeing campers’ cars parked everywhere on bike paths, in parks, in the woods, and on roads they’ve made through the paths and woods, I think people just don’t give a damn. I would love to see parks “get real” about enforcement, but I’m sure they’re up against some kind of budget, staffing, “insert standard-excuse” type of thing. Looks like we need more boulders and bollards and heavy things that stop cars.
As a dog owner/lover and person who enjoys walking nowadays more than biking as I often stroll through the parks on my way to the stores in my neighborhood, this very f’d up, tragic & dangerous incident was just a matter of time.
Over the last few years, here’s what I’ve noticed:
Powell Park – Cars 8 SUVs illegally parked in the park.
Kenilworth Park – Tire tracks all over the middle gully area and on the hills. *Not where park ranger vehicles go.
*A few weeks ago, a drive in an SUV crashed through a motorized iron gate of house across the street from Kenilworth Park.
Creston Park – Tire tracks in the central dog park area and on multiple occasions teenagers/young adults racing all over the park, including the playground, picnic area & dog park areas on electric motocross bikes.
People on e-bikes & other elec. micro-mobility vehicles going way too fast on the paved trails in all of the parks including the SWC.
I wish I had taken photos, videos, but I just called the police non-emergency ph# & the Park Rangers ph#.
And as a car-free, bike commuter and bike fun supporter & advocate, I’ve even seen a-holes on MTBs riding on the playground features in Creston Park when there was a PPZ event. Not cool! Not for you! Stay the f! out!
Not too mention all the gas-holes driving around w. illegal tint, no plates, expired tags, crazy eff’ing loud exhaust, giant-a$$ trucks & SUVs & all the wannabe internet famous street racers.
Sometimes, I feel like I’m living in the infield of an eff’n Nascar race track.
Anyway, this entitled, anything goes, nothing is enforced free-for-all car culture has for me made Portland unlivable & is strongly compelling me to move out of Portland after 16 years of calling Portland home. I’m literally too eff’n old for this shit & I hate living here.
I’m tired of the noise & air pollution, I’m tired of car alarms randomly going off all day & night, I’m tired of the dangerous & careless driving, I’m tired of public streets littered w. personal vehicles, I’m tired of looking at them, I’m tired of always having to be on the lookout for them and I’m tired of walking by RVs & cars with people living in them.
I’m just done w. all this shit! It’s way past time to get the F! outta Portland!
I’ve called about the parking situation at Sellwood for years. Not action from the city just makes the matter worse and worse each year.