I'm sorry, but riding a bike on a rainy night at midnight does not demonstrate good sense, as far as I'm concerned, and I don't care how many lights and helmets you have. I drive a car--it is difficult enough to see bicycles as it is. I am not blaming the victim, but she would have done well to avoid riding under such treacherous conditions.

My head shakes in utter disbelief at the above comment. Maybe the bike rider can't afford a car, afford insurance, afford gasoline, afford to keep living a life where her actions contribute to global warming and a senseless war.

Maybe you shouldn’t drive a car if you have night blindness, or maybe you should just try to be a lot more aware when you do drive at night, or day. Maybe you should get on a bike and think about the reasons that people ride bikes.
I drive a car and ride a bike. And most of the time it is pure laziness as for the reason I am in the car. Fat pig American laziness. And if I am being a lazy ass in my car, I am hyper aware of bikes, motorcycles and pedestrians, as well as other cars.
I suffered a skull fracture 30 some years ago. The cause was a bike/car accident. I was on the bike. It was the drivers’ fault. I lost my short-term memory for 2 1/2 years and luckily came out of that mess. I also suffered many other problems as well.
Bicycles are on the road 24 hours a day, and more and more bikes will be on the road 24 hours a day.
PLEASE, VEHICLE DRIVERS, START SEEING BICYCLES!
AND BICYCLISTS, HAVE FRONT LIGHTS AT NIGHT IF YOU DON'T ALREADY.
Much concern to the cyclist.

Would you like to donate your vehicle to picking up bicyclists that happen to be out past dark when it begins to rain? Or maybe people who don't have vehicles should just stay inside to avoid possibly being hit by motorists who can't see them. Skidmore is a major bike thoroughfare- any sensible motorist either stays away from it, or slows way the hell down (think about how happy you'd be if bikes started taking to the freeways). I primarily bike, but also drive and there are certain streets that I intentionally avoid when driving as well as biking (and they tend to be opposite of eachother).
It can be riskier driving OR biking late at night, her fault was in no way being out on a bike- it was having too much to drink and running a stop sign (assuming the news report was accurate-which is likely hard to tell).

Perhaps we should all step back and wait to hear what happened before accusing anyone of anything?

I hope she's alright.

From the cops: "Investigators believe that speed is not a factor in this collision, and that contributing factors include alcohol consumption on the part of both drivers and the fact that Slawta was wearing dark clothing, not wearing a helmet, and was operating her bicycle without lights."

I love the "from the cops". Might as well say - "I heard this guy say..." for all the trust and integrity that PPB has earned over the past few years.

I think that all the drivers out there who think that cyclists should find a safer way to get around are the problem. And, if you are drunk and riding a 25 pound bike - you are stupid. If you are drunk and driving a 2000 pound car - you are a potential murderer. It is confusing to me that the penalties for both offenses are identical.

Of course Speed is an issue - the driver might not have been speeding, but hitting a parked car is much less dangerous. The level of intelligence in the PPB investigation teams leaves ample room for improvement.

There are many issues at play in cases like these but, suffice to say, as a cyclist - the only way to stay safe is to avoid cars at all costs. There is no appeal and no second chance when you are up against such physical(momentum is conserved) disadvantage.

Fingers crossed that both people are able to recover and resume their lives.

Adam: saying, "from the cops," means, "this is the official statement issued by the PPB's public information officer."

Since the cops say the cyclist was drunk, wearing dark clothes and riding without lights or a helmet, perhaps you should focus your probing hostility elsewhere?

Emmanuel is the worst hospital on the face of the planet.

Fuck that piece of shit-shithole.

Adam-

Your rant is a little reactionary here don't you think? Of course it's awful that this situation occurred and that both driver and cyclist were drunk. But, don't you think the cyclist bears a little more of the blame here? She ran into the truck, no lights, no helmet and wearing dark clothes. At some point you have to admit that sometimes a cyclist can be at fault. I do wish her all the best and hope she comes out of this okay. But, all parties need to be more responsible, whether operating 2000 pound vehicles or 35 pound bikes.

One key piece of information is missing: what was the speed of the car? Unfortunately, this is something that takes a while (read: more than one news cycle) to determine, but it is a central cause of most crashes, as well as the central factor in the severity of a crash.

Read more about the failures of crash reports from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance's blog.

Jesseo, also from the cops: "Investigators believe that speed is not a factor in this collision."

adam, i really disagree with you about saying that there is a difference between driving a bike drunk and driving a car drunk. number one, if you're willing to drive a bike drunk it makes it a lot more likely that you're willing to drive a car drunk (when given the opportunity)... something the police, insurance companies, etc deserve to know.

and also, even though you ostensibly pose a lower risk of damaging things because you're controlling less weight, you can still cause people to swerve to miss you and hit someone else (thus causing accidents that wouldn't have happened otherwise), and you can also still plow into people crossing streets or walking down sidewalks (that you are suddenly much more willing to drive your bike on if you're drunk). I have first-hand experience with being hit by a guy that was drunk and speeding down the side-walk. i was lucky he didn't blow out my knee, which he came close to doing.

anyway, i just thought i'd add that.

it's just not a good idea to start quantifying which method of travel is safer to drive drunk during. they both suck.

"Investigators believe that speed is not a factor in this collision, and that contributing factors include alcohol consumption on the part of both drivers and the fact that Slawta was wearing dark clothing, not wearing a helmet, and was operating her bicycle without lights."

What about the cyclist RUNNING A STOP SIGN!!! as a contributing factor. Both parties is incident are losers

I know this is an obvious statement, but it fucking chills me to the bone hearing about these crashes - we need to just build a tunnel around this town for bikes only. Until then you can see me on the Esplanade and walking my bike on the sidewalk.

The cycling community in this town will get a little more respect if they stand up and denounce cases when the cyclist is obviously in the wrong instead of reflexiviely circling the wagons. This is just such a case.

It's hard to tell what happened here but reading the report it seems like this cyclist blew a stop sign and basically t-boned the truck.

Okay the truck driver had to much to drink but the guy stuck around knowing he was in deep shit. We also need to consider the lasting emotional trauma this driver is going to have. He probably never had a chance to avoid the drunk, lightless, helmetless wearing all black rider but it is going to haunt him for the rest of his life.

I hope she is okay as well as it sounds like a long road to recovery if she survives.

Tron- you sound like an idiot. Please respect the current conversation and keep your rants to yourself. Or at least impart some intelligence with your comments. You come off like a knuckle-dragger.

That's in my neighborhood, and while you have to have some sympathy for someone who's seriously injured, Slawta was an accident waiting to happen.

No light, dark clothing, no helmet, riding at night while drunk, and running a stop sign? You're just asking for an accident.

The police should cite her for DUII and running the stop sign once she has recovered enough to be cognizant of what's going on.

Would it make people feel any better if the driver of the truck was sober? That section of Portland is plagued with bad cyclists as well as bad drivers, and the cyclists do the same things Slawta did - riding at night without lights, not wearing helmets, and ignoring traffic laws.

The payoff is that a car-bike accident at low speed will injure the cyclist much more than a car-car accident at the same speed.

Dammitt, Rick... I realize it's been said, but if YOU are not able to see (legally riding with appropriate lights / reflectors) cyclists at night, even in rain, then you should not ever drive a car in those conditions. I won't defend cyclists who ride invisible / ride right out in front of automobiles which have the right of way, but cyclists have a right to ride in any weather and at night and not get run into by somebody who can't see or doesn't pay attention. Get your vision FIXED, or pay more attention, whatever you need to do.

If you drive carelessly (or half blind, whatever is your case) and you hit someone, I hope you rot in prison, but let's not let it come to that.

Organic Brian, cyclists have a right to do a lot of things. Including being stupid, which is what this cyclist was: riding at midnight on a rainy night, intoxicated, dark clothes, no helmet. Just plain stupid, regardless of what her rights were. Rights will do you no good in the morgue.

Y' know, I drive up and down these streets night after night, and, believe me, Portland's reputation for out-of-control, nasty, and dangerous cyclists is well deserved.

There isn't a week that goes by that I don't have to slam on my brakes when someone blows an intersection on a bike with no headlight directly in my path. Usually they are wearing a dark hoodie and dark pants, especially if they are younger and feeling very punky and fashionable.

They usually scream at me and give me the finger.

They swerve off of the sidewalk with no warning right in front of me downtown and give me the finger.

They fly down one-way streets the wrong way, and when I screech to a halt to avoid killing them, they scream some inane insult in my face.

Due to the sheer amount that I am on the road, and the arrogant holier-than-thou attitude of the scofflaw cyclists of this town, it is only a matter of time before one of them winds up under my wheels. It is inevitable, and I dread the arrival of that day.

No matter how big that "good-guy" badge on your chest is, no matter how much you are doing to save our poor planet from automobiles, the laws of physics still apply to you.

You will lose the argument in a collision with a car, no matter if you occupy the moral high ground or not. 4500 pounds of metal traveling at a mere 20 mph will hurt you.

Look, I ride a bike, too, and you had better believe that I have a headlight on there, bright as day. When I fail to come to a complete stop, it is only on side streets, not a main artery like NE 15th.

I've been there. My left wrist hurts today from a really nasty hit-and-run involving me and a motorist, 16 years ago.

Please, please, please be careful out there and pay attention to what you are doing on your bike. Your very life is at stake.

just want to remind folks that the cyclist in this article is a real, live human being. she's a friend of mine and a partner, daughter, and so on. she's badly injured. regardless of all the details, show some respect and send a little frickin love her way! danka.

No disrespect meant whatsoever. Emaunel isn't so bad, and your friend will hopefully recover in time.

I simply want to remind people of just how dangerous it is when you consistently ignore traffic laws on a bike. Motorists can hardly see you as it is, much less at night with no headlight.

I've seen one side of what happens in a bike/car collision, and it is very likely that I might someday unwillingly see the other side. Just be very, very careful and look in all directions if you insist on blowing through an intersection, is all.

What the cyclist did was the equivalent of someone driving drunk, without any lights on in a black car at midnight.

Now would ANYONE be defending a driver who was driving under those conditions?

Would anyone be surprised if that car was hit by another car after it blew a stop sign?

Would anyone be attacking the driver that was hit by the car with no lights on?

My point is not to attack her. She is paying enough for a momentary lack of judgement. It is to shut up the reflexive pro-bike/anti-car elements who defend bikers regardless of the situation.

What the cyclist did was the equivalent of someone driving drunk, without any lights on in a black car at midnight.

Now would ANYONE be defending a driver who was driving under those conditions?

Would anyone be surprised if that car was hit by another car after it blew a stop sign?

Would anyone be attacking the driver that was hit by the car with no lights on?

My point is not to attack her. She is paying enough for a momentary lack of judgement. It is to shut up the reflexive pro-bike/anti-car elements who defend bikers regardless of the situation.

I would like to remind everyone that the "the cyclist" in this article is a person, a daughter, a sister, a wife, and a friend. She has a name and her name is Dawn. This is not an episode of ER or of Scrubs; this is real life and it affects real people. I am apalled that people could/would talk about Dawn in the manner that they have been. Dawn the person, the daughter, the sister, the wife, and the friend is in the ICU in critical condition.

Many of you seem to be focusing on the fact that she was riding a bike. No one asked why she was riding a bike. Dawn is a vegan and an environmentalist. She chooses to ride her bike because she is taking an active role in helping to fight the negative effects pollution has on our environment. That is why she was riding a bike...her bike is her car. And if you can drive your car in the dark, in the rain, or any other condition why can't she.

If we are going to talk about the fact that she had alcohol in her system why do we fail to mention the fact that the driver of the thousand pound metal vehicle was drinking too. So much so that he was ticketed for dui and arrested. If an accident didn't occur then, then one could have occured later. Then who would you have blamed? The drunk driver of the truck.

Furthermore does anyone of us really have a right to blame, accuse, or look down upon anyone in this accident. First of all we don't know the full details of the accident. Secondly all of you act like you are innocent. I bet you each and everyone of you can think of a time where maybe you shouldn't have driven your car. Perhaps due to alcohol or some other factor like being too tired. I bet you all of you can think of a time where you didn't wear your helmet while riding your bike, you didn't completly clean off your windshield covered with snow, your brakes were bad, you weren't wearing a seatbelt, you were speeding, talking on you cell while driving or whatever else.

Quit focusing on the what, when, where, and how and start focusing on the WHO... my sister Dawn is in the intensive care unit in critical condition and we don't know when and if she will fully recover.

I love you Dawn, please get well soon.

I would like to remind everyone that the "the cyclist" in this article is a person, a daughter, a sister, a wife, and a friend. She has a name and her name is Dawn. This is not an episode of ER or of Scrubs; this is real life and it affects real people. I am apalled that people could/would talk about Dawn in the manner that they have been. Dawn the person, the daughter, the sister, the wife, and the friend is in the ICU in critical condition.

Many of you seem to be focusing on the fact that she was riding a bike. No one asked why she was riding a bike. Dawn is a vegan and an environmentalist. She chooses to ride her bike because she is taking an active role in helping to fight the negative effects pollution has on our environment. That is why she was riding a bike...her bike is her car. And if you can drive your car in the dark, in the rain, or any other condition why can't she.

If we are going to talk about the fact that she had alcohol in her system why do we fail to mention the fact that the driver of the thousand pound metal vehicle was drinking too. So much so that he was ticketed for dui and arrested. If an accident didn't occur then, then one could have occured later. Then who would you have blamed? The drunk driver of the truck.

Furthermore does anyone of us really have a right to blame, accuse, or look down upon anyone in this accident. First of all we don't know the full details of the accident. Secondly all of you act like you are innocent. I bet you each and everyone of you can think of a time where maybe you shouldn't have driven your car. Perhaps due to alcohol or some other factor like being too tired. I bet you all of you can think of a time where you didn't wear your helmet while riding your bike, you didn't completly clean off your windshield covered with snow, your brakes were bad, you weren't wearing a seatbelt, you were speeding, talking on you cell while driving or whatever else.

Quit focusing on the what, when, where, and how and start focusing on the WHO... my sister Dawn is in the intensive care unit in critical condition and we don't know when and if she will fully recover.

I love you Dawn, please get well soon.

OBVIOUSLY SOME OF YOU HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO THAN TO SIT HERE AND CRITICIZE SOMEONE ELSE'S MISTAKES OR LACK THERE OF. MY BEST FRIEND IS MRS. SLAWTA'S SISTER. AND BEFORE YOU GO INSULTING ANYONE, YOU SHOULD THINK OF WHAT AFFECT IT HAS. REGARDLESS OF FAULT, A HUMAN BEING WAS SEVERELY INJURED AND COULD POSSIBLY DIE OR HAVE PARALYSIS. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT WAS HER FAULT OR THE DRIVER'S. I PRAY THAT THE LORD HAS MERCY ON YOUR HEARTLESS SOULS FOR DEGRADING AND INSULTING A WOMAN YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW. WHILE HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS ARE NOT ONLY PRAYING FOR HER SAFE RECOVERY, BUT WE’RE ALSO THANKFUL THAT THE DRIVER WASN’T HARMED. AND THE DAY THAT I THINK, LET ALONE PUBLICIZE, THAT I HOPE A PERSON DISPLAYED IN THE NEWS GETS CITED FOR AN ACT THEY DID AFTER THEY GET OUT OF THE HOSPITAL, THEN I HOPE SOMEONE PUNISHES ME. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHETHER THEY WERE OR WEREN’T INJURED, INTOXICATED OR SOBER, RIDING A BIKE OR DRIVING A CAR. NOT TO MENTION, JUMPING TO ANY SORT OF CONCLUSION. AND FOR THE RECORD, THIS LADY IS VERY MUCH CONCERNED ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT. THAT’S WHY SHE RIDES A BIKE!!!! I HOPE THIS OPENS YOUR EYES FOR YOU TO REALIZE THAT YOU’RE WASTING YOUR TIME BEING PETTY AND IGNORANT. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO JUDGE OTHER PEOPLE UNTIL YOU WALK IN THEIR SHOES. I’M NOT EVEN A RELIGIOUS PERSON, BUT I HOPE GOD HAS MERCY ON YOUR WRETCHED LITTLE SOULS BECAUSE I AM HERE TODAY PRAYING AND HOPING THAT SHE HAS A FULL RECOVERY. WHILE THE LAST 40+ HOURS SINCE WE FOUND OUT ABOUT THE ACCIDENT HAS BEEN EXCRUTIATING FOR EVERY ONE THAT KNOWS DAWN SLAWTA BECAUSE WE WERE WORRIED SHE MAY NOT EVEN SURVIVE TO RECOVER. AND I’M SURE YOU HAVE MADE MISTAKES. NO ONE IS PERFECT. SO THE NEXT TIME YOU “ACCIDENTALLY” RUN A RED LIGHT, STOP SIGN.. DRIVE WHILE INTOXICATED.. FALL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL… OR LET YOUR CHILDREN/ SPOUSE/ PARENT WALK AWAY FROM YOU.. I HOPE YOU REMEMBER WHAT I AM WRITING. BECAUSE YOU OR SOMEONE YOU LOVE COULD GET INTO A FATAL ACCIDENT, REASONS UNKNOWN AND MAY NEVER BE FOUND OUT.. AND I HOPE YOU CHANGE YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE HORRIBLE THINGS YOU HAVE SAID. BECAUSE ONLY THEN WILL YOU REALIZE, NOBODY IS PERFECT, LIFE IS VERY PRECIOUS AND SPENDING YOUR TIME PERSECUTING A STRANGER IS A WASTE OF TIME. WHEN I AM DONE WRITING THIS, I WILL NEVER THINK OF YOU AGAIN AND I WILL CONTINUE BEING BY MY BEST FRIEND’S SIDE IN THIS UNTHINKABLE TIME OF NEED. BUT YOU WILL REMEMBER THIS FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE AND I PRAY FOR ANYONE THAT HAS TO GO THROUGH THIS. AND ALTHOUGH I AM DISGUSTED AT WHAT REPULSIVE THINGS YOU HAVE SAID AND THOUGHT, I FORGIVE YOU FOR YOUR SINS.

P.S.

Lets try for once our countries history not to sterotype people or criticize them for their beliefs. Dawn is not every anger crazy person on a bike you may have come acros and you may not understand why she chooses to bike instead of driving but you should respect it.

Beautiful. Simply amazing.

Just keep running those stop signs right in the path of motorized traffic and pretending that everything will work out OK. It surely will, just because someone as special as you are wants it to. Remember, the more vegan bicycle points you accumulate in defense of our dying planet, the faster you will simply and suddenly levitate out of the way of the automobiles you hate so much should one cross your primrose path.

In fact, the more you ignore the potential consequenses of your reckless and near-suicidal behavior, the less catastrophic the inevitable outcome of your willful ignorance of the simple laws of motion will be. The harder you wish for your fantasy cycle-centric world to materialise, the less cruel the ugly old world you are forced to inhabit truly becomes.

All that I care is that my cousin makes it out of the ICU. These other issues/factors mean nothing to me or her family.

How is Dawn? I live around the corner from where she was injured? I have not seen any mention of her in the past few weeks. I hope she is doing better.

How is Dawn? I live around the corner from where she was injured? I have not seen any mention of her in the past few weeks. I hope she is doing better.