An Oregon pickup truck driver was arrested on charges of drunk driving after he struck a jogger on a recent Wednesday night in northeast Portland. Authorities were called at approximately 5:30 p.m., after the collision occurred. The 55-year-old jogger was fortunate to survive, but the accident left him in critical condition at the hospital.
The driver was arrested at the scene of the crash. In addition to DUI, he was charged with third-degree assault.
Investigators claim that the driver was traveling eastbound along Wasco Street when he made a right turn onto 60th Avenue. That is when he hit the pedestrian who happened to be crossing 60th. The jogger was using an unmarked crosswalk at the time.
A woman who lives nearby said that 60th Avenue is a very busy street, but it is rare she sees any accidents along the roadway. Still, the woman said that she thinks people need to be very careful and watch out for cars whenever they are riding, walking or jogging.
The collision triggered a response by the Major Crash Team, which arrived to manage the accident scene. This caused traffic at the intersection of Wasco and 60th to be blocked for a number of hours following the collision.
When a driver is arrested for DUI and assault following a Portland pedestrian accident, chances are that the injured pedestrian will have a viable claim for personal injury damages relating to the incident. Indeed, the results of criminal proceedings may be used as evidence to help bolster the claims of injured parties in their separate civil lawsuits.
Source: kptv.com, “Driver charged with DUII after hitting jogger in NE Portland,” June 03, 2015