82nd Avenue Saturday smashup

Here’s what happens when drivers are inattentive for just a moment – when driving along the busy 82nd Avenue of Roses …

Traffic in front of Eastport Plaza comes to a halt on a busy Saturday afternoon in outer East Portland, when four vehicles slam together in a chain-reaction smashup.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

Everyone who has driven SE 82^nd Avenue of Roses, near Eastport Plaza, on a Saturday, knows how congested this thoroughfare can be.

Traffic was moderate to heavy on Saturday, January 20, at 1:30 p.m., when one car stopped and three others didn’t, in the northbound lanes near S.E. Bush Street causing a four-vehicle, chain-reaction crash.

Diverting traffic around the crash scene, an officer lights flares on SE 82^nd Avenue of Roses.

Portland Police Bureau officers shut down northbound traffic on SE 82^nd Avenue of Roses while firefighter/paramedics riding Portland Fire & Rescue Woodstock Station Engine 25 pulled in – responding to early reports of injuries in this smashup.

When a Toyota Highlander made an abrupt stop, a Hummer H3 appeared to have stopped in time – perhaps just “kissing” the rear of the SUV, causing little damage.

A Portland Police officer makes sure the drivers of these four vehicles are exchanging information at this crash on SE 82^nd Avenue of Roses.

However a Toyota four-door sedan stopping behind the second vehicle was hit by the fourth – a Toyota FJ Cruiser that struck the sedan with such force, it pushed the smaller car deeply into rear of the HUM-V.

Although airbags deployed in some of the vehicles, paramedics found no crash-related injuries, and quickly departed.

It took longer to haul away the damaged vehicles and open the street fully. The lesson, in case you missed it, is to be careful and attentive at all times while driving.

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