PORTLAND, Ore. — Early Sunday morning, an impaired driver hit two parked police vehicles leaving two Portland police officers hurt in Portland's Arbor Lodge Neighborhood, according to the Portland Police Bureau (PPB).
Portland police said at around 12:19 a.m., two PPB officers assigned to North Precinct were wrapping up a call each in their marked patrol cars, parked facing south along the west curbline of North Greeley Avenue just south of North Dekum Street. Their overhead police lights were not activated. Both officers were about to drive away when the driver of a white 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe sideswiped both cars. The impact of the crash severely damaged the Chevrolet and both police cars.
The driver of the Chevrolet was uninjured. One of the police officers was momentarily trapped in his car due to the damage to his door. The officers were treated on scene by first responders and both later taken to the hospital. One officer suffered a concussion and neck pain, while the other officer had an injured shoulder. The officers will be off work for at least a week due to their injuries, according to PPB.
Portland police said the driver of the Chevrolet was arrested at the scene and an officer from the Traffic Division conducted an impaired driving investigation. Officers later booked the driver, Charlotte L. West, 47, of Portland, into the Multnomah County Detention Center. West is facing charges of driving under the influence of intoxicants, reckless driving, recklessly endangering another person, and two-counts of assault in the fourth degree.
Portland Police Chief Bob Day expressed that this incident is a reminder for people not to drive will intoxicated and the dangers police officers face each day.
“I wish our officers the best in their recovery from this crash,” said Chief Bob Day. “This incident serves as a reminder of the dangers that police officers face every day as they serve our community. And, I hope it’s a reminder to everyone not to get behind the wheel while intoxicated.”
Amid this Labor Day holiday weekend, PPB reminds the public to drink responsibly and to remember buzzed driving is drunk driving. PPB also says drug-impaired driving is just as dangerous (and illegal) as alcohol-impaired driving.
