Witness accounts differ from official reports on an injury accident, at the edge of the Lents neighborhood, that sent a “moped” rider to the hospital …
A major outer East Portland thoroughfare is closed while police investigate an accident between this motor scooter, propped up at the curb, and a minivan.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Traffic northbound on SE 82nd Avenue of Roses came to a standstill just before 6:00 p.m. on November 16, when a motor scooter collided with a minivan.
“It looked to me like the motor scooter drove [east] – either on SE Duke Street or out of the Plaid Pantry parking lot – and into the side of the passing car,” said witness Mike Mason, who pointed out there was no visible front end damage to the Dodge Caravan.
Paramedics roll the gurney, carrying the motor scooter rider, to an ambulance.
The paramedics riding Portland Fire & Rescue Lents Station Engine 11 arrived, and began a medical assessment of the downed motor scooter rider.
The Dodge Caravan’s passenger-side front fender bent in; the wheel and tire were damaged, but not to the extent that the minivan couldn’t be eventually driven out of the street, and into a nearby parking lot, later to be towed away.
A firefighter photographs the scene, documenting where the downed motor scooter rider was found.
While at the scene, it was said that the motor scooter driver had been transported via ambulance to a local hospital with “serious” injuries, but later Portland Police Bureau Public Information Officer Sgt. Chris Burley assured East Portland News, “The scooter operator suffered non-life-threatening injuries.”
Burley added, “The driver of the vehicle was cited for a ‘Driving While Suspended’ violation.”
Bystanders wondered aloud how this damage to the minivan could be caused by it hitting a motor scooter.
© 2017 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
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