Motorcyclist Death on Thursday Morning Brings This Year’s Traffic Death Toll Up to Last Year’s Total

Just yesterday, a pedestrian was struck and killed in Northeast Portland—and marked the city’s 33rd death.

Northeast 82nd Avenue. (Natalie Behring)
By Sophie Peel

Portland has seen as many traffic deaths this year as in all of 2018.

Early Thursday morning, Portland police responded to a motorcycle crash at Northeast 82nd Avenue and Northeast Alderwood Road near the Portland International Airport.

The motorcyclist was taken to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries and died on Thursday morning.

This marks 2019's 34th traffic-related death in Portland,  matching the number of deaths during the entirety of last year. In 2018 the number of deaths dropped drastically from two years prior; in 2017, 45 deaths were recorded.

On Wednesday morning, a pedestrian was killed in Northeast Portland—and marked the 33rd traffic-related fatality of the year.

The majority of the 2018 crashes this year occurred east of 82nd Avenue. The rise in traffic deaths has continued even as Portland transportation officials tout an effort to decrease them—a campaign called "Vision Zero."

The Portland Police Bureau said no other vehicle was involved in today's motorcycle crash. No other details regarding the crash have been released.

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