Three people were killed in traffic crashes in East Portland Wednesday night. All the crashes happened in the Hazelwood Neighborhood and were relatively close to each other in both time and location. I’m still trying to learn more details, but here’s what I know so far…
Bicycle Rider – 6:30 pm on NE Glisan near NE 111th
A person riding a bicycle was involved in a collision with a car driver just before 6:30 pm on Northeast Glisan near NE 111th. Emergency responders attempted to save the rider’s life, but they died on the scene. The Portland Police Bureau has talked to the driver and an investigation is ongoing.
According to a BikePortland reader who lives nearby and rolled out to the scene to take a closer look (see photo below), the collision happened in the westbound lanes of NE Glisan just before NE 111th. That location has a “parking protected” design with a paint-only bike lane and a wide buffer from the one adjacent lane. The speed limit is 30 mph.
The Portland Bureau of Transportation changed the lane configuration on this street as part of their East Glisan Street Update project in 2022. That project lowered the speed limit (from 35 and 40 mph to 30 mph) removed one of the general travel lanes and added buffered bike lanes in each direction. Unfortunately PBOT did not install any physical protection for bike lane users. One year ago another bicycle rider was killed by a car driver just 0.8 miles east of last night’s fatality (at NE 128th). And in 2021, BikePortland reported on a major hit-and-run collision at NE Glisan and 114th that seriously injured three people.
If you have any information about this crash, email crimetips@police.portlandoregon.gov attn: Traffic Division and reference case number 25-297278.
Wheelchair user – 7:40 pm on NE 122nd near NE Glisan
Just over one hour later, another person was killed by a car driver. It happened near the intersection of NE Glisan and 122nd — just one mile east of the first fatality of the night. Police say they responded to find an adult male who had been struck by a driver. “The preliminary investigation indicates the male was crossing Northeast 122nd Avenue in a wheelchair when the incident happened,” states the PPB. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital but died early this morning.
122nd is one of the deadliest streets in the city. It has claimed three lives so far this year and 14 people have been killed while using 122nd since 2021. During my time observing this street I often see wheelchair users in the roadway because the sidewalks are narrow and full of obstructions. When another person was killed near NE 122nd and Glisan in December 2023, I wrote, “122nd Avenue has been the focus of many speeches and plans over the past decade; but it remains a ticking time bomb of traffic tragedy and we’re years away from completion of infrastructure changes.”
The location where the man in the wheelchair was killed last night is a classic, car-centric stroad where car use dominates and everyone outside of a car is at risk. There are five general travel lanes and buffered, paint-only bike lanes. It’s on PBOT’s “high crash corridor” list and has a 30 mph speed limit. PBOT has major plans for 122nd and has already completed some updates. In 2021 I shared a video overview of the conditions and how PBOT plans to address all the safety problems on the corridor.
Police have spoken to the driver and an investigation is ongoing. If you have information on last night’s collision at 122nd and Glisan, email crimetips@police.portlandoregon.gov attn: Traffic Division and reference case number 25-297340.
Walker – 8:00 pm on NE 102nd next to the Gateway Shopping Center
About an hour-and-a-half later — and just 0.6 miles northwest from last night’s other fatal crash on NE Glisan — a person was killed while walking on NE 102nd. Police have only shared a general description of the location, saying it happened somewhere between NE Pacific and NE Halsey. When police responded they found a female pedestrian who was already deceased.
This section of 102nd, is a slightly less terrible version of 122nd. It’s another “high crash corridor,” car-centric stroad with five general travel lanes and paint-only bike lanes.
I’ve asked the PPB for more detailed information about where the collision occurred and will update this post when I hear back.
Police have spoken to the driver and an investigation is ongoing. If you have information about this collision, email crimetips@police.portlandoregon.gov attn: Traffic Division and reference case number 25-297357.
These three fatalities put Portland’s year-to-date tally at 33 deaths — twenty fewer than we had at this same date last year. See more details on the BikePortland Fatality Tracker.