Car wreck pops pole, smashes vehicles

After looking at this wreck, see why neighbors say they were surprised no one went to the hospital – or the morgue …

After a two-vehicle collision, a split utility pole lets traffic signals droop low in the intersection of SE 122^nd Avenue and Harold Street.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The sound of a resounding crash was quickly followed by a splintering crunching sound at about 8:15 p.m. on December 2, in the Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood.

The outer East Portland motor vehicle accident ended up with an SUV severely damaged, after it was struck by four-door Lexus sedan in the intersection of SE 122^nd Avenue and Harold Street.

The SUV appears to be severely damaged, after colliding with a car – and then crashing into a wooden utility pole.

“I heard all this ‘bang’ and ‘crash’ and ‘crunch’ noise, and I knew, right away, there was a big wreck out here,” said Sammie Burroughs, who said he’d just finished his meal at Tina’s Corner.

“I thought there’d be blood everywhere,” Burroughs told East Portland News, “but everyone was already out of their cars, just like that.”

This Lexus didn’t fare much better; it’s going to need a lot of body and mechanical work before it’s on the road again.

In fact, the crew of Portland Fire & Rescue Engine 29 found they had little to do at the accident scene, at least in terms of rescuing victims. Instead, they blocked off the area around the teetering utility pole and the dangling traffic signal and electric wires.

Witnesses agreed that the Lexus was eastbound on SE Harold Street, turning north onto 122^nd Avenue. The SUV was southbound on 122^nd Avenue when the collision occurred.

But, not surprisingly, witnesses offered differing accounts of which one ran the red light and was responsible for the collision.

A Portland General Electric “Eagle Crew” first responder examines the smashed utility pole – and reports that it belongs to the City of Portland.

Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Traffic Division officers – the cops who investigate trauma-related and “Driving while Intoxicated” crashes – were not called to the scene.

Because no official information is available about this smashup – for now, the exact cause will remain a mystery.

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