GRESHAM, Ore. — A man who was struck and injured by a hit-and-run driver the day after Thanksgiving has since died in the hospital, according to the Gresham Police Department.
Randolph James Stitt, 72, was struck by a vehicle on Southeast Stark Street at 192nd Avenue on November 24. Witnesses told police that the driver sped away, heading northbound on 192nd Avenue, in a light-colored SUV, possibly mid-sized.
Officers and paramedics arrived and tended to Stitt, who Gresham police said was thrown nearly 70 feet by the impact of the crash. He was taken to a local trauma hospital, where he ultimately passed away from his injuries on December 20.
Alongside Portland, Gresham has seen an increase in traffic-related deaths in recent years. Near Southeast 192nd and Stark, neighbors told KGW that traffic issues are becoming all too common.
"In the last few months we have had three or four car accidents right in front of our clinic here," said Richard Hill.
Those crashes include the one that later claimed Stitt's life. His is the latest of nine pedestrian deaths in Gresham this year, nearly double the five killed in 2022.
Gresham Police Chief Travis Gullberg points to a few factors that are common in these crashes.
"Often times, unfortunately, speed has something to do with it — and driving while intoxicated, whether that's driving while drunk or under the influence of another drug of some type," Gullberg said.
According to Gullberg, Gresham is facing a similar problem that other municipalities, including Portland, are facing: a lack of officers on the road, which means less enforcement.
"Staffing has led to a difficulty in enforcing traffic laws," Gullberg said. "But that doesn't mean we are going to give up, we are going to be there, we are going to do everything we can with what we have, but again that takes the public's help."
With fewer officers on the road, the city has taken a look at other ways to get drivers to slow down.
"I know a lot of cities are looking at red light cameras or speed enforcement vans, so we are going to have those open discussions with our community," Gullberg said, "because we are going to want that to be community-led on what works best for Gresham."
Richard Hill said he'd like to see a pedestrian crosswalk with a light system added to the intersection of 192nd and Stark in order to make it a safer place to cross.
The East Metro Vehicular Crimes Team continues to investigate the November 24 crash. They have asked for help from the public in finding the driver, whose vehicle likely has front end damage as a result of the crash. Anyone with information is asked to call the Gresham police tip line at 503-618-2719, or submit information anonymously through the Crimestoppers of Oregon.