Portland Oregon

Date: January 22, 2010
Location: SE 52nd & Woodward St., Portland, Oregon
Names: Tyler Luba, Patrick Livingston

A hit-and-run driver who hit two high school students while they crossed the street near Franklin High School in Portland, Oregon, has been taken into custody. Portland police arrested Patrick Livingston, 44, on January 26, 2010, around 8:40 PM, four days after the crash that injured Tyler Luba and another student.

Luba suffered multiple broken bones and was taken to the hospital. He was released January 30.

The crash occurred at SE 52nd and Woodward Street. Several cars had stopped to let the two teenagers cross the street, but Livingston drove around the vehicles and hit both students with his car. He then left the scene.

Livingston was arraigned January 26 on charges of hit-and-run and second-degree assault.

We want both Luba and the other student to know that we are sending thoughts their way, and we hope both of them will make a full and fast recovery. We also want them to know that we are outraged about this crash and the driver’s behavior. There is no excuse for hit-and-run.

Hit-and-run is a serious crime, and conviction will result in your driving privileges being suspended or revoked. In any accident, you have the following obligations:

·    Stop at once. If anyone is killed or unconscious, you must stay at the scene until a police officer arrives.
·    Render aid. Do not move an injured person carelessly, but give reasonable aid
·    Exchange information with the other driver. Give them your name, address, driver’s license number, license plate number, and insurance information. DMV offers a printable checklist you can download and keep in your car.
·    Report the accident to DMV.

We implore drivers in any accident 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 the Luba family, as well as the family of the other student, may be well advised to contact a 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.

Shulman DuBois does not represent any of the parties in this article. If you were involved in this or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. We offer a free, confidential consultation to not-at-fault people discussed in this article. The free consultation extends to family members as well.

Date: January 13, 2010
Location: Highway 30 near NW Harborton Drive, Portland, Oregon
Names: Zeken Barker

Zeken Barker, a 25-year-old from Portland, was walking on Highway 30 near NW Harborton Drive in Portland, Oregon, when he was hit by a car and killed around 5:15 AM, January 13, 2010.

Barker, died in the accident. Police did not name the driver; she was not injured and stayed at the accident until police arrived.

Portland police said Barker was hit in dark, rainy conditions. He was also wearing dark clothing.

Police do not believe alcohol or speeding was involved, and no citations were issued.

We send our wishes to Barker’s family after this tragic accident, and we hope they find strength and support in family, friends, and community. Our thoughts are also with the driver, who did not leave the accident, which could have turned this into an even more devastating ordeal.

In most cases, the driver would be found at fault in a pedestrian accident. However, this is one of those situations in which the pedestrian, not the driver, could have been found at fault. Even if a pedestrian is in a crosswalk, a court could side with a driver if the pedestrian was wearing dark clothing.

A commenter on KGW’s article posted the following request: “Hey KGW – How about a sidebar on how best to be seen in weather like this?” We hope the following information is helpful.

Pedestrian Safety Facts

According to a 2007 report from the NHTSA, a pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash, on average, every 113 minutes. In other words, there is a pedestrian death in the U.S. almost every two hours. And a pedestrian is injured in a crash every 8 minutes.

A total of 70,000 pedestrians died in traffic crashes in 2007. In Oregon, 48 pedestrians died in 2007.

The most dangerous time to cross the street, by far, is a weekend evening. Nearly one-half of all pedestrian deaths occurred on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. A total of 35 percent happened on a weekend between 8 PM and 11:59 PM.

The next riskiest time: weekday afternoons (between 4 PM and 7:59 PM), with 24 percent of deaths.

How to Stay Safe

·    Wear light, bright, or reflective clothing during poor weather and at night.
·    Increase your visibility at night by carrying a flashlight.
·    Walk on the sidewalk when possible. If there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic.
·    Cross at designated crosswalks when available.
·    Remember Mom’s advice: “Stop, look, and listen” before crossing. If a parked car is blocking your view of the street, stop at the edge of the vehicle and look around it before crossing the rest of the way.
·    Be especially careful at intersections. Failure to yield right of way often occurs when a driver is turning.
Visit our car accident resource library.
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Date: December 28, 2009
Location: SE 76th & Stark St., Portland, Oregon
Names: Dobrivoje Ivkovic

A bus driver for senior citizens attending Providence ElderPlace in Portland, Oregon, was arrested December 28, 2009, for drunk driving, reckless driving, and leaving the scene of an accident after he crashed his empty bus at SE 76th and Stark Street, around 3:30 PM. Police caught up with Dobrivoje Ivkovic, 41, at Providence Portland Medical Center on NE 48th and Glisan.

KOINLocal6.com said police believe the bus was unoccupied at the time of the crash. There were no injuries.

Ivkovic was taken to Multnomah County Jail.

Gary Walker, director of public affairs for Providence Health & Services, told The Oregonian that Ivkovic’s bus was used to transport older adults to and from Providence ElderPlace, a health care and social services program with a location near the hospital, at 4540 NE Glisan.

Walker would not comment on the allegations against Ivkovic, saying it was a personal matter.

As Portland hit and run lawyers, we are grateful that no one was injured in this crash, but we can’t help but be shocked. This driver was entrusted with the safety of senior citizens. Hit-and-run is a serious crime, and so is drunk driving, but there are legal options with a Portland hit and run lawyer.

The hit-and-run driver must be held responsible for his actions. And if anyone is injured in a hit and run crash, civil penalties may apply as well. At Shulman DuBois, our personal injury attorneys believe that hit-and-run, and drunk driving, are simply unacceptable. If you have been injured in a hit-and-run or drunk driving crash, contact our hit and run lawyers soon.

Shulman DuBois, LLC, is a personal injury law firm  located in SE Portland, Oregon, and serves clients in all Oregon cities and counties, including: Portland, Beaverton, Multnomah County, Hillsboro, Gresham, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Tualatin, Troutdale, Sellwood, Corvallis, Salem, Eugene, Milwaukie, and Albany.

The Gresham Outlook posted this story about the community of family, friends, and neighbors that is pulling for hit-and-run victim Jerome Calcagno. Calcagno was hit while crossing the road in October. To our knowledge, the driver never stopped.

Let’s grow this already large community to include those who are concerned about tragedy, and let’s find the person who did this. Hit-and-run accidents are inexcusable. Accidents happen, but this is all the more unfortunate because Calcagno was a pedestrian and had no source of protection from the impact. And no matter what the excuse may be, there is absolutely NEVER a reason to leave the scene after an accident.

Please, if you know anything, contact the police at 503-618-2719.

Date: October 15, 2009
Location: SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway, Oregon
Names: Ronald Earley

(Photo courtesy Portland Police Bureau)

According to The Portland Tribune, alcohol and speeding were factors in an early-morning truck crash October 15, 2009, that killed a 24-year-old man. The fatal accident occurred around 2:50 AM, as Ronald Earley, of Portland, Oregon, was driving a Ford Ranger pickup truck east in the 4500 block of the Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway. Earley’s truck left the road and slammed into a steel column, seriously injuring him; he died at a local hospital.

A major crash team from the Portland Police Bureau was investigating the crash as of October 15. Detectives told The Oregonian that excessive speed and drunk driving contributed to the fatal collision.

Some drivers may not know that “speeding” can mean either driving in excess of the posted limit, or driving too fast for conditions. In fact, a driver can be within the speed limit and still be speeding, depending on the roadway, weather, or other conditions.

A fact sheet from the Oregon Department of Transportation points out that speeding is the top contributor to deaths and injuries in Oregon, accounting, on average, for half of all traffic fatalities. In fact, speeders kill more innocent Oregonians than drunk drivers. In 2008, among crashes caused by excessive speed, 40% of deaths were passengers or other innocent victims, not the speeding drivers themselves.

Late for work or an appointment? Don’t take a deadly chance by speeding. The time you save, if any, will be negligible, especially compared with the risk. It is far, far better to be a few minutes late than never to arrive at all – or to risk the same on someone else.

We encourage people to educate themselves on the law of drunk driving in Oregon, and we provide free information to help you settle your lawsuit without an attorney. But when a drunk driver is involved, the law becomes very tricky, and you should contact an experienced Oregon injury attorney.

Visit our car accident resource library.
Get a free 70+ page book Seven Common Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Oregon Accident Case.
Contact Shulman DuBois LLC about a free consultation.
Visit us on YouTube.

Date: October 18, 2009
Location: NE 33rd Avenue & Shaver Street, Portland, Oregon
Names: Jared Sletager, Quandrell Dumas

After a shocking hit-and-run crash early October 18, 2009, left a Seattle, Washington, man in critical condition, the driver who fled the scene gave himself up to police. Quandrell Dumas, 23, of Portland, Oregon, turned himself in the same morning.

The crash occurred around 1:20 AM at NE 33rd Avenue and Shaver Street in Portland. Dumas, who was driving a Lincoln Continental, ran a stop sign and crashed into a Volkswagen Vanagen heading south on 33rd, then crashed into the porch of a nearby home. Dumas fled the scene on foot, leaving his car on the porch and abandoning the other driver, Jared Sletager, 29, who suffered serious injuries.

A local resident described the crash as the worst he had ever seen. “You didn’t have to be trained in accident forensics or anything like that to understand that it was a high-speed hard impact,” said Scott Rider.

Dumas presented himself at the Northeast Police Precinct around 9:30 AM, and turned himself in. He faces charges of assault, felony hit-and-run, and reckless driving.

Sletager was taken to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, where, authorities said, he is expected to survive.

According to the Oregon DMV, hit and run is a serious crime, and conviction will result in your driving privileges being suspended or revoked. In any accident, you have the following obligations:

• Stop at once. If anyone is killed or unconscious, you must stay at the scene until a police officer arrives.
• Render aid. Do not move an injured person carelessly, but give reasonable aid
• Exchange information with the other driver. Give them your name, address, driver’s license number, license plate number, and insurance information. DMV offers a printable checklist you can download and keep in your car.
• Report the accident to DMV.

While we are glad that Dumas turned himself in, we can’t help being horrified by this hit-and-run. Dumas was probably frightened and in shock, but that does not excuse leaving Sletager injured at the scene. For all Dumas knew, Sletager was dying, and leaving him was inexcusable. 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. We send our best wishes to Sletager for a quick and complete recovery, and hope he is out of the hospital soon.

Hit-and-run is a serious violation of Oregon Vehicle Code 811.705. The hit-and-run driver must be held civilly and criminally responsible for his actions. In a case like this, the Sletager family may be well advised to contact a reputed 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 to Sletager 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.

Important questions to consider when hiring a lawyer:
Does the lawyer understand how to help me pay my medical bills after an accident?
What about testimonials?
What kind of time limits are involved?
What if I have a smaller case?
Are there any hard rules to follow when looking for a great personal injury lawyer?