Two eyewitnesses said three females were injured in an apparent hit-and-run on Portland State campus at the corner of SW 6th Ave. and SW Montgomery St. Friday, May 25. The incident was reported around 10 a.m.
Witness Amberlie Remliy said she saw the car exit I-405 onto SW 6th Ave. and drive north toward the city center. Portland Police Bureau Public Information Officer Sgt. Chris Burley said the car drove up onto the sidewalk, striking at least three pedestrians.
“I saw that there were two women very very very badly hurt,” said Aiden Downs, a first-year philosophy student at PSU who witnessed the incident on his way home from class. “One of them was screaming. The [other] one that I saw was on the sidewalk…You could tell that she was breathing but she seemed like she was…unresponsive.”
“It’s absolutely astonishing,” Downs continued.
Koin 6 News reported police said two of the individuals suffered life-threatening injuries while the third’s injuries are less serious. Oregon Health and Science University reported at approximately 11:30 a.m. that one patient remains in critical condition and one in serious condition. The family of the third patient has requested that updates on her condition not be made public.
“I was, like, right there,” said PSU student Kat Caputo, who had been walking through the area on her way to class at the time of the incident. “That could’ve been me. That’s…sobering. Very sobering.”
In a press briefing, Burley said police had located and seized the vehicle suspected to be involved in the incident after a community member spotted the vehicle and notified police. The driver of the vehicle is now considered a person of interest and has been taken into custody to be interviewed by investigators. Burley said the investigation is ongoing, but police are not currently looking for additional suspects or vehicles and he does not believe there is any current threat to the community.
Campus will remain open for the day, but students who feel unsafe and do not wish to attend class should contact the Dean of Student Life office at (503) 725-4422. The Associated Students of PSU office, Student Activities and Leadership Programs Leadership Lounge and the Cultural Resource Centers will be open to all students who may need a place to process. SHAC Counseling services and PSU’s C.A.R.E. Team are also available.
