Date: May 3, 2010
Location: SE 82nd near Highway 224, Clackamas, Oregon
Names: Bonnie Ingersoll, Blake Sharkey Steve
Oregon State Police caught and arrested a hit-and-run driver who injured an Oregon City bicyclist on May 3, 2010, according to an OSP press release. Police believe the driver was talking on his cell phone when he hit Bonnie Ingersoll, 20.
Talking on a cell phone while driving is dangerous. We backed making it illegal to drive while on your cell phone, way back before it was a law. We all think it can’t happen to us, but then it happens, over and over again.
Around 1:50 PM, a car driven by Blake Sharkey Steve, 20, of Clackamas, was pulling out from a gas station on SE 82nd Drive near Highway 224 in the Clackamas area, when he struck Ingersoll, who was riding a bicycle on SE 82nd Drive. Steve then drove away without stopping.
Ingersoll suffered minor injuries, including cuts, scrapes and bruises. Fire personnel treated her at the scene.
Witnesses gave police the car’s license plate number, and troopers found the car at the registered owner’s address in the 9700 block of SE Talbert Street. Investigators identified Steve as the driver. Steve’s Washington driver’s license shows an address in Tacoma, but he is living in Oregon, according to The Oregonian.
Steve was arrested and taken to Clackamas County Jail on charges of felony hit and run with injury and vehicular assault on a bicyclist (a Class A misdemeanor).
We send our thoughts and prayers to Ingersoll as she recovers from her injuries, and we hope she recovers quickly and completely.
We would like to thank the witnesses who helped police find Steve so he may be held responsible. This crash has many aspects, including the dangers of cell phone use while driving, the importance of watching for bicycles, and, of course, the consequences of hit-and-run.
Using your cell phone while driving is certainly dangerous, and moreover, it is against the law. Also, everyone needs to share the road. Drivers should take special care to watch for those who are more vulnerable, including pedestrians, motorcyclists, bicyclists and highway workers.
But even if you drive safely, you might someday be in an accident. And we can’t overstate the importance of staying at the scene. We implore drivers in any accident situation to put the safety and welfare of others above their own interests, and always, always remain at the scene and make sure no one is hurt.
The hit-and-run driver must be held civilly and criminally responsible for his actions. And Ingersoll may be well advised to contact a reputed Oregon personal injury attorney with experience in hit-and-run crashes who will fight for the justice and compensation that they deserve. At Shulman DuBois, we believe that what happened in this crash is simply unacceptable; we are committed to making sure that hit-and-run drivers are held accountable for their actions and that both victims and families receive the compensation they deserve.
As of the date we posted this blog, Shulman DuBois LLC does not represent any of the parties. If you are mentioned in this article and believe you may need legal help, please contact us or another reputable law firm. Oregon law firms specializing in personal injury, including us, will provide free and confidential consultations, so do not hesitate to call and ask questions.
