Oregon Injury Lawyer Blog
Two serious Portland pedestrian accidents only hours apart – one of them fatal – highlight the danger pedestrians continue to face here in northern Oregon, despite a renewed public focus on the issue in recent months.
The first accident took place last Monday on Southeast 82nd Avenue where a 27-year old pedestrian was hit by a car and run over by not one but two vehicles, according to a report in The Oregonian. The victim is hospitalized in serious condition. According to an OSP spokesperson, the Oregon pedestrian car accident began when she was struck while crossing 82nd Avenue in a marked crosswalk Monday afternoon. A pick-up truck traveling behind the car that hit the pedestrian ran over her as it attempted to drive around the first car. The driver of the first car, apparently startled, then moved her vehicle – in the process running over the victim a second time. Neither driver was cited in the incident, according to The Oregonian, but an investigation is still under way.
The second Portland car accident took place Tuesday evening. Unlike the first accident, where both drivers are cooperating with police, this was a hit-and-run, and a reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the driver, according to The Oregonian. The accident, on Southeast Division St, led to the death of a pedestrian who was struck “as he crossed the wide road”, the newspaper reports. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
The accidents come in the wake of months of renewed concern regarding the safety of pedestrians and cyclists on roads throughout the Portland area. As I have noted several times in recent months, public attention has repeatedly focused on the unusually high number of Oregon pedestrian accidents and Oregon bicycle accidents the city has witnessed over the last year or so.
The dramatically different behavior of these three drivers notwithstanding, both of these accidents are important reminders of the role a Portland personal injury attorney can play in the struggle for justice by Oregon accident victims and their families. Even when police decline to cite one or more drivers at the scene of an accident, that decision does not mean the end of legal responsibility for drivers. A Portland Oregon pedestrian accident lawyer can offer essential advice and guidance when victims and their families are faced with difficult choices.
The Oregonian: Authorities offer reward in fatal SE Portland hit and run
The Oregonian: Investigators confirm two vehicles hit pedestrian on SE 82nd
