2009 September Archive

Oregon recently passed a new law that bans texting while driving, and now Washington, D.C., has joined in the discussion, kicking off a two-day summit. Portland, Oregon, of course, has also jumped on the debate and started pedaling. BikePortland.org has blogged about it and offers a link to tune in to the event live.
Read the rest »

Date: September 30, 2009

“Expect rain, overcast skies through the weekend,” reads the headline of a September 30, 2009, article in The Oregonian. Locals may be so used to similar weather predictions that the standard reaction might be, “More rain? What else is new?”

But a late-September downpour demonstrated that rain can cause serious traffic hazards. During the morning rush hour, heavy rains created slippery conditions that resulted in eight crashes, as well as a number of fender-benders and innumerable close calls. Portlanders on their way to work found themselves sitting in stalled traffic while the wrecks were cleared.
Read the rest »

Date: September 25, 2009
Location: U.S. Highway 20 east of Bend
Names: Michael William Cleary

In a press release, the Oregon State Police have requested the public’s help in locating the family of Michael William Cleary, a 61-year-old motorcyclist who was killed in a single-vehicle crash near Bend. The accident occurred around 12:30 AM, September 25, 2009, near milepost 28 on U.S. Highway 20.

Oregon State Police reported that Cleary was eastbound on the highway when he tried to execute a left-hand curve and drove onto the south shoulder of the road, striking a fog marker. Cleary, who was wearing a helmet, died at the scene.
Read the rest »

Date: September 25, 2009
Location: U.S. 199, north of Grants Pass
Names: Harrel Eugene Neal

An Eagle Point motorcyclist died about 2:20 PM on September 25, 2009, after his motorcycle swerved onto the shoulder of U.S. 199 near Grants Pass, hitting a guardrail. Harrel Eugene Neal, 51, was thrown off his 2005 Honda motorcycle, Oregon State Police told The Oregonian. Neal was wearing a helmet. An ambulance crew, which happened to be nearby, was able to reach the scene in minutes, but they were unable to revive Neal.
Read the rest »

Date: September 24, 2009
Location: Sherwood, Oregon
Names: Withheld

A 5-year-old Sherwood, Oregon, girl who was dragged about 30 feet by a school bus has returned to her kindergarten class at J. Clyde Hopkins Elementary School, but her father says she will be haunted by the experience for the rest of her life.

The child, whose name is being kept private, got her backpack caught in the doors of the school bus on September 24, 2009, and was dragged alongside the moving vehicle. Her father, Carlos, who declined to make his last name public, told KATU.com that the driver never got out of the bus to see if the girl was injured.

Read the rest »

Date: September 24, 2009
Location: NE 148th Avenue near Glisan Street, Portland
Name: Curtis Rhodes

OregonLive.com reported that Curtis Rhodes, 42, of Portland, died September 24, 2009, after a single-vehicle crash in Northeast Portland. The accident occurred around 11 AM when Rhodes lost control of his motorcycle. No one else was injured.
Read the rest »