Drunk drivers crash into accident scene in Portland, nearly hit officer: Reports

A fatal car accident in Portland, Oregon nearly led to more tragedy on Christmas Day after a drunk driver ran into the accident scene and another drunk driver nearly hit a police officer at the same scene, reports state.

Television station KATU reported that two drunk drivers drove into the earlier crash scene, smashing into a police car and nearly hitting a police officer and others.

According to the outlet, authorities think a car jumped a curb, barely missed a coffee shop and stopped at a strip mall parking lot.

"We also had a Deputy DA who was nearly hit by one of these drivers. It's mind boggling,” Mike Benner, spokesperson for the Portland Police Bureau, told KATU.

The initial crash happened just before 5:00 p.m., the Portland Police Bureau said in a news release.

Officers responded to a call about a vehicle crash on Southeast 122nd Avenue, near Southeast Powell Boulevard. 

One driver was critically injured and taken to a local hospital, where they later died. Authorities said Southeast 122nd Avenue was blocked off for hours so investigators could process the scene and collect evidence.

KATU spoke to a witness, Bill Baired, who was sitting at a light at around 5:30 p.m. Monday evening and heard the loud bang.

“We were sitting at the light on Powell, getting ready to turn on Holgate, and this guy comes through the intersection at about 80, maybe even more, and apparently this lady was pulling out of Shell. He took her whole front end off,” Baired said to KATU News.

Drunk drivers in Portland

According to the outlet, drunk driving is a serious issue in Portland and the holidays only exacerbate the issue. Since last December, more than 500 people have been arrested and accused of driving drunk in Portland, the outlet said.

Police said in a news release that there were at least three fatal crashes in the City of Portland on Christmas Day.

“New Year's Eve is just around the corner. It's a time for celebration and rightfully so, but do it safely, Benner, spokesperson for the Portland Police Bureau, told KATU. “We have Uber, we have Lyft. We have friends and family who can drive.”

TriMet, a mass transit service in the area, is offering free rides after 8 p.m. New Year’s Eve and MAX lines will be available after midnight.

Contributing: KATU