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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Driver Hits Two Cyclists Today in Lloyd, One Sent to Hospital

Posted by Sarah Mirk on Tue, Sep 21, 2010 at 10:21 AM

Police are searching for the driver of a silver Subaru WRX that struck two people on bikes this morning in back-to-back hit and runs in the Lloyd Center.

Jasper Lieber: Struck by a crazed Subaru, but hes okay!
  • Jasper Lieber: Struck by a crazed Subaru, but he's okay!

Jasper Lieber, 47, was the first cyclist hit. He was riding his cargo bike along NE Lloyd about 7:50 am, having just dropped his young son off at daycare, and needed to get into the bike lane on the south side of Lloyd. This is a particularly dicey stretch of road at Lloyd and NE MLK—westbound cyclists have to cross multiple lanes of traffic to reach the bike lane on the south side of the road that leads to the Steel Bridge. Lieber crossed into the left westbound lane when the souped-up Subaru came roaring up behind him.

"It had what sounded like a jet engine muffler, revving its engine," says Lieber. "He was right on my tail and I was trying to go left, signaling with my arm. He was really mad at me." Very quickly, the car decided to cut around Lieber on the right, but as it roared past, it clipped the front of his cargo bike, sending Lieber toppling into the road. Another driver stopped at the scene to help Lieber off the ground while a second car gave chase to the Subaru—they couldn't get a plate number because the car has no back plates. Luckily, Lieber was rattled, but not badly hurt. After years of bike commuting in the city, this is the first time he's ever been hit by a car. "I'm not daunted," says Lieber cheerfully, who eventually shook himself off and even finished his commute to work.

After striking Lieber, the Subaru driver ran into a second cyclist, a woman, in the area of northeast 1st Avenue underneath the Interstate-5 Freeway overpass. That rider wasn't so lucky; she has been taken to the hospital to treat her injuries. Police have not released her name. UPDATE: Joe Rose over at the Oregonian has some details on the second crash:

Witnesses said the driver of the silver car sped away on Northeast First Avenue, going around the Convention and blowing through a red light at Multnomah Street. When the driver realized he had hit a dead end near the Rose Garden, “he whipped around and came back,” said witness Wendy Unverricht. “He was flying when he hit the woman on the bike. He hit her hard." ... Initially, the woman tried to get back up on her bike and ride away, but people at the scene encouraged her to stay put until an ambulance arrived.

The car is a silver Subaru with no rear plates, but a green sticker in the back window similar to a "Monster" drink sticker. Anyone with any info about the crash or vehicle should call the Traffic Division at 503 823-2103.

 

Comments (14) RSS

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1
OMG JUSTIN BIEBER WAS INVOLVED IN A HIT AND RUN!!?
Posted by cat & beard on September 21, 2010 at 10:37 AM · Report
2
TIME FOR SOME MUTHATRUCKING U-LOCK JUSTICE!!!
Posted by Graham on September 21, 2010 at 10:49 AM · Report
3
DAMN I want the guy caught.... Looks like he was in angry mode... h
Posted by hhhhh on September 21, 2010 at 11:11 AM · Report
4
Holy shit, I just saw and waved at Jasper 10 minutes before this happened. So glad it wasn't worse and that he had already dropped off the little guy.
Posted by gabriel amadeus on September 21, 2010 at 11:17 AM · Report
5
Lloyd Center is a mall. Neither of these locations are in Lloyd Center. They're in the Lloyd area.
Posted by nestchick on September 21, 2010 at 11:45 AM · Report
6
Okay, since the car is brand new and was issued a temporary license plate, shouldn't it be relatively easy to look up all the Subaru WRXs purchased in the Metro area in the last three months? Then send an officer to each registered address and find the one with the missing headlight casing?

If they don't catch this kid by the end of the day, I don't know how much confidence I have left in the PPB.
Posted by ($8239f8h248cerfehjf23@&*@ebdjhb23f237OCDBO#BD*(# on September 21, 2010 at 12:15 PM · Report
7
This is an instance where I really believe in "eye for an eye." Have somebody hop in the driver's seat of his own car and hit him. Twice!
Posted by MrFabulous on September 21, 2010 at 12:17 PM · Report
8
Grab the pitchfork! Time for some good old fashioned mob justice and group think. This guy is a scab. Bleh!
Posted by Fruit Cup on September 21, 2010 at 2:18 PM · Report
9
scary!
Posted by fukfuk on September 21, 2010 at 2:50 PM · Report
10
What the hellll, man?? I would love to be a bike commuter, but it's this type of thing that deters me. I do NOT understand drivers who don't like to share the road with cyclists. WHY NOT???

...i long to be a biker...
Posted by cheetoface on September 21, 2010 at 3:32 PM · Report
11
Chances are...that Subaru will follow the same route at the same hour. That's how the mob can catch him...return to the scene of the crime.
Posted by Cupcake on September 21, 2010 at 7:15 PM · Report
12
Any ODOT or Trimet cameras they could check for footage of the car?
Posted by jacob.s on September 21, 2010 at 9:33 PM · Report
13
Portland has lots of bikers- and we're not going anywhere- good luck to the hospitilized woman. Woe be unto the drive wth?
Posted by Frankie Tease on September 21, 2010 at 10:47 PM · Report
14
Dear OP:They shouldn't have been riding their bikes inside of the Lloyd Center anyways. Pretty sure it's against the law to ride a bike in the mall, they had it coming.
Posted by Ohnojojo on September 22, 2010 at 6:56 PM · Report

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