PORTLAND, Ore. — With the way traffic was moving at Southeast Powell and Foster on Wednesday morning, you would have no idea this was the scene of a deadly crash just hours earlier.
"I didn't hear about this one but it's unfortunate," one woman, who preferred not to be identified, told KGW. "People just get in a hurry."
We still don't know what caused this crash. All authorities are saying about what happened is that officers responded to reports of a pedestrian struck by a car around 10:10 p.m. Tuesday. The pedestrian died despite life-saving efforts by medics.
Police said that the driver stayed at the scene and was cooperating with investigators.
"It's unfortunate when accidents happen and it's unfortunate when people lose their life," the woman said.
By the end of 2022, traffic deaths in Portland were higher than they'd been since 1990. Pedestrian deaths in traffic collisions were higher than they'd been in about 70 years.
Since the start of the year there have been several deadly crashes in Southeast Portland. There was one at Southeast 92nd and Holgate early Monday morning. There was another near Southeast Division and 168th in early January.
Another crash happened near Southeast 80th and Powell at the beginning of last week. Authorities said a man named Tyler David, 44, was behind the wheel of his Ford Escort when he was hit and killed pulling out of a parking lot onto Powell.
"Let's lower the speed limit," the woman said. "That'll change everything. No, it's not going to change anything."
This woman is beyond frustrated by all of the death. Furthermore, she is troubled by the fact it is happening in East Portland. All four of Portland's fatal crashes thus far this year have been in Southeast.
"They just don't care about East County," she said. "Portland doesn't."
As someone who drives, bikes, rides transit and walks, the woman is pleading with everyone to be more cautious. The alternative, in her eyes, is frightening.
"A lot of people have gotten more emboldened," she said. "It's like, 'I'm going to run a red light. I'm going to do whatever I want.'"