Pedestrian hospitalized after being hit by van on SE Division
PORTLAND, Ore. - A woman was hospitalized after being hit by a van near SE 112th and Division early Monday morning.
The incident took place at about 6 a.m.
The pedestrian's condition was not immediately available but a police officer said the victim did not have life-threatening injuries. Police said the driver of the van stopped and was cooperating with the investigation.
Brandon Harison, who was in a nearby parking lot at the time said he heard a loud bang "like someone dropped a dumpster" and then saw the woman in the street. He said she was not moving. "It was crazy," Harison said.
Police were on the scene investigating and some lanes of traffic were closed for a short time. Investigators said the pedestrian was crossing SE Division near 112th and may have been crossing against the light.
Police have not identified the driver or pedestrian and no citations have been issued.
I agree with everybody here (except Icarus). I see it every morning and every night. I live in SW, but it's the same thing... dark, rainy, foggy, people walking around with dark clothes, walking wherever they please and expecting us to stop for them. I drive along yelling (inside my car, alas nobody hears me) ARE YOU CRAZY??? Wear something I can see, you nimrod! And don't walk until you're supposed to!!! I saw a woman the other evening, walking, wearing a nice, yellow VISIBLE jacket. I was so grateful I wanted to stop and buy her a cup of coffee.
 @tcm "Nimrod"...chuckle! =)
Only when cars are outlawed will America be safe. Clearly driver education doesn't work. Registration doesn't work. Licensing doesn't work. Police enforcement doesn't work. The only solution is simply to ban vehicles entirely.Â
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Look at how the auto industry has lobbied congress and the insurance industry and how cars have proliferated through every level of our society as a result.
 @IcarusÂ
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You talk crazy.
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Last year 35,885 people died in auto accidents that's about 10.4 people per 100,000 down from a high 53,543 or almost 26.4 people per 100,000 or at todayâs populations that's 91,093 people that year.
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Compared to heart disease which killed 597,689 people in 2011. That was the worst year i could find.
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Oh to compare 35,000 deaths, the heat wave in Europe in 2003 killed about 35,000 people. The cartels have reportedly killed 35,000 people in their drug war and Islamists in Pakistan have killed about 35,000 since 9/11.
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 @Repoman  @Icarus I killed at least that many brain cells in college... and likely only have about that many left (relax, it's a joke.)
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It IS a predictable retort, and a clear parody of the Anti-Gun Zealots.
 @Icarus A predictable retort. Nice soapbox dude.
I drive down Division twice a day and I have to tell you guys that's it gotten beyond belief. You should do it sometime. It usually happens around the bus stops, and it's not limited to a certain area of Division until about 181st . More than any other street I've seen, but with Stark Street right on its heels, people just walk right out into the median and expect traffic to come to a screeching halt, or just go around them. You get into a left turn lane, watching for signals, traffic, etc, and suddenly there's some dude in a hoodie standing right in the middle of the turning lane, 20 feet ahead of the crosswalk and the DON'T WALK sign. Oregon law says that crosswalks are implied at intersections where they're not marked or specifically blocked to Peds, and pedestrians have the right away in crosswalks, but they do NOT have the right of way in the middle of the street contrary to the little urban myth that's going around. (20 years ago, the myth was that you couldn't get pulled over for speeding on a "freeway", just "violating the basic rule.")Most of 'em look like tweakers, crackheads and high school or community college kids.
 @Playanekes As both a pedestrian and driver of this leg of Division ST, I agree.
I think it should also be pointed out that people drive down Division very frequently as if they are in a drag race. It is insane. So many people speed past even the well lit crosswalks (most of them are not.) It's a dangerous road for everyone.
 @Playanekes I just off Division and you are not exaggerating. It is amazing how people will walk out in the center of Division in dark clothes, at night, less than a block from a marked cross walk. The area from 148th to 122nd is the worst.
 @Jax09 That's right. I see it from 148th to about 172nd. I think it stops at about 181st because, let's face it, Gresham drivers will just kill you.BTW, I was at the library downtown yesterday and perused old surveyor maps for Portland and Gresham from back in 1927. Pretty cool! There used to be airports in Rockwood and the area behind the Gresham K-Mart used to be the Multnomah County Fairgrounds. There was also a cannery and a venetian blind factory out there south of the high school. Cool!
ORS 814.040 "Pedestrian failure to yield to a vehicle", should be enforced by PPB. It might stop people from mindlessly walking out into traffic while busy texting or otherwise oblivious to surroundings.Â
Well marked crosswalks, good crosswalk signaling (if you hit the button it will turn for you) good lighting, good visibility and the road favors pedestrians.
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Someone made a mistake. And since the police said "near the light" that means the person did not take advantage of ANY of the above conditions and instead chose to be foolish.
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Mistake in this case was the pedestrianâs. At least they aren't dead.
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"May have been crossing against the light"  Well, there ya go, if this is true, ANOTHER idiot who thinks they are immune to the potential devastation that can be caused by stepping out in front of a moving vehicle that has NO ability to stop on a dime. People that do this get what they deserve. You can't fix stupid.
 @wondering But the law protects them and the ambulances, and the doctors HAVE to pay their medical bills if they can't afford them.