Man hit on Hwy. 217, traffic jammed for hours

BEAVERTON, Ore. - A pedestrian was hit and critically injured on Oregon state Highway 217, crippling southbound traffic for hours near the Beaverton Hillsdale Highway on-ramp. 

Highway 217 connects the Portland suburbs of Tigard, Beaverton and Lake Oswego between Interstate 5 and U.S. Route 26.

The pedestrian has been identified as 26-year-old John Thomas Nelson.

Police report that Nelson was "standing near the fog line of the highway" when the driver of a Toyota 4-Runner said "the next thing he knew, the pedestrian was in front of his car and he was unable to avoid hitting him."

The accident occurred 3:35 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1. Beaverton police responded to the call, and urged drivers backed-up on the highway to drive back to the nearest exit. Traffic was moving freely again by 6 p.m. Sunday. 

Nelson was transported by ambulance to Oregon Health & Science University hospital with what was initially reported as potentially life-threatening injuries. According to Beaverton police, "an update from the hospital found that the only major injury was a punctured lung."

Nelson is in stable condition as of Sunday evening.

Police sources tell KATU that no citations were issued and no criminal charges are pending.

Meanwhile, this marks the third major accident involving a pedestrian on Oregon's state highways over the past two weeks.