Portland Fire & Rescue - IN THE NEWS

The Oregonian

December 1, 2010

By: Joseph Rose

Crash, rescue of stuck driver on North Broadway in Portland jams up rush hour traffic

Portland firefighters cut a woman from her car tonight after she ran a redlight on North Broadway, hit a truck and wound up trapped between a building and utility pole.

The 4:50 p.m. crash and the ensuing rescue and towing operation, which required two trucks, clogged up rush hour traffic from just east of the Broadway Bridge to Northeast 15th Avenue for nearly an hour.

Traffic on the Interstate 5 exit to the Rose Garden was also backed up onto the highway due to the crash.

Police said the driver of a westbound white Volkwagen attempted to speed through a redlight at Northeast Larrabee Avenue when she struck a pickup.

An officer at the scene said bicyclist stopped at the light witnessed the crash. They told police that the volkswagen spun out of control after impact, jumped the north curb at the intersection and came to a violent stop between a utility pole and building.

Witnesses said the car’s rear window blew out, spraying glass into the intersection, when it crunched between the building and pole.

Police said neither driver was seriously injured. However, it ultimately took two tow trucks to remove the car from where it was stuck.

After a tow truck partially dislodged the car, firefighters used a power saw to remove much of the driver’s side to get to the driver. 

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