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Register now for free, or sign in using your AIM or Google account! * Site Search * Search Local Business Listings ____________________________ [ ] _____________________ _____________________ [ ] Home News Opinion Sports Entertainment Living Interact Jobs Autos Real Estate Classifieds Shop Place An Ad * News * Business * Education * Environment * Metro * Obits * Photos * Politics * Special Coverage * US & World * Weather * more News Portland, Oregon News OREGON LOCAL NEWS Real-Time updates and breaking news from Oregon Portland, Traffic >> Portland police say TriMet bus wasn't empty just before fatal crash By Joseph Rose, The Oregonian April 29, 2010, 8:34PM 042910_Tri-Met_Passenger.JPGPortland policePortland police are asking for help in locating this man, who was a passenger on the TriMet bus that ran into five pedestrians in downtown Saturday night. Call Officer Peter Kurronen at 503-823-2208. Adding a mysterious twist to the nearly weeklong investigation into Saturday's tragic TriMet wreck, Portland police say they are looking for a man who was riding a No. 9 bus moments before it hit five pedestrians in a downtown Portland crosswalk The man, dressed in a dark suit and wearing what appears to be a badge, exited the bus just before it turned left from Northwest Glisan Street onto Broadway, killing two of the pedestrians and seriously injuring a third, investigators said. TriMet has maintained that driver Sandi L. Day was behind the wheel of an empty bus when the incident happened shortly before midnight Saturday. Then a witness told The Oregonian earlier this week that she saw a man on the bus. When asked about the witness' statement, the agency responded that it wasn't true. More Read The Oregonian's continuing coverage of Saturday night's fatal bus accident. On Thursday, when asked about the apparent discrepancy, TriMet spokeswoman Mary Fetsch maintained that she was factually correct. "You asked if there was anybody on board at the time of the accident," Fetsch said, responding to questions about the police alert. "There wasn't." The Portland Police Bureau's Major Crash Team said that is true, because the man apparently stepped off the bus, driven by Day, just feet from the fatal accident. "The bus dropped the passenger off at the north curb line on Northwest Glisan Street before making the turn southbound onto Northwest Broadway," said Detective Mary Wheat, a Portland police spokeswoman. Police, who released a photo taken by an on-bus camera, don't know if the man has vital information. But "we want to make sure we are completely thorough in this investigation," Wheat said. memorial.jpgView full sizeMichael Russell/The OregonianA memorial near the intersection where two young women were killed last Saturday continues to grow. This photo was taken Wednesday evening.Danielle Sale, 22, of Vancouver, and Jenee Hammel, 26, of Gresham, died under the wheels of the 17-ton vehicle. Emergency crews had to jack up the bus to remove Sale's boyfriend, Robert Erik Gittings, 22, of Boise. Gittings was upgraded to fair condition at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center on Wednesday. Ryan Hammel, 28, and his wife, Jamie Hammel, 23, of Portland, were also hit but survived with minor injuries. Jenee Hammel was Ryan's sister. An impromptu memorial at the intersection has swelled throughout the rainy week as strangers, family members and friends have left balloons, flowers and votive candles. By Thursday, large umbrellas had been erected to keep rain from three plastic-wrapped photos of the victims. Jenee Hammel's funeral was late Thursday morning at East Hill Foursquare Church in Gresham. Hammel, who grew up in Northeast Portland's Rocky Butte area and attended Madison High School, was engaged to be married in June. Before the service, her father, Robert Hammel, said he hadn't heard any details from police. "I'm just trying to wait for any word about what happened," he said. On Tuesday, Jena McCaskell of Carson, Wash, who was standing on the sidewalk and witnessed the crash, called The Oregonian to say she was troubled by TriMet and police saying the bus was empty. "That's not true," she said. "There was a man on the bus. He got off and disappeared into the crowd. I saw him. My son saw him." McCaskell was concerned that investigators might not know there was someone out there who might be able to shed light on the crash and Day's driving prior to the horrific crash. IFrame View Larger Map Day, 48, of Long Beach, Wash., was in the last minutes of her shift driving the No. 9 bus when she hit the pedestrians. Police say it could be at least another week before they complete their investigation. The stop where the man exited serves Line 17, but it's not uncommon for drivers on late-night routes to let riders off at stops not on their regular routes. When asked about what McCaskell saw, Fetsch said nothing about a passenger on the bus moments before the crash. Fetsch said she first learned of the mystery rider Thursday. However, TriMet officials said Friday that they knew about the rider from Day's initial report. She said she stopped to drop the man off before turning onto Broadway. TriMet officials have also seen the video of the crash from a front-mounted camera, but it remains in police possession as as part of the investigation. Anyone with information concerning the identity of the passenger is asked to call Officer Peter Kurronen at 503-823-2208. -- Joseph Rose, Twitter: pdxcommute Michael Russell contributed to this report RecommendRecommend (0) Print this Email this Share this: Share with Reddit Share with Digg Share with del.icio.us Share with Google Share with Facebook Share with Buzz Up! Previous story: Driver dies when pickup goes airborne, strikes tree on Interstate 84 near Hood River Next story: Weekend: Drier, warmer, springier weather Story tags: fatal trimet | mary fetsch | portland police | trimet fatal Comments (50 total) RSS Post a comment Oldest comments are shown first. Show newest comments first Next comments >> 1 | 2 | 3 areaume Posted by areaume April 29, 2010, 2:46PM That emblem or badge on his jacket would be a great clue as to who he is. Maybe a Rose Quarter security guard? Inappropriate comment? Alert us. Reply to this comment | Post a new comment oldballer13 Posted by oldballer13 April 29, 2010, 2:51PM The plot thickens ? Inappropriate comment? Alert us. Reply to this comment | Post a new comment Rich Osterma Posted by ORnative April 29, 2010, 2:57PM I noticed a few days ago that there is a bus stop on the right side of Glisan, about 20 ft. from the intersection. Maybe thats where he got off. Glisan is a one way street so the driver would have to go from the right side of the street to the left side of the street in a very short distance. Maybe fast enough to beat any traffic coming from the behind. Not sure if this is the case, but it's possible.... Inappropriate comment? Alert us. Reply to this comment | Post a new comment sp_redelectric Posted by SP Red Electric April 29, 2010, 7:39PM Speaking of such, there is a bus stop served by the 12, 17 and 19 buses at 4th and Hall, in which buses have exactly one block after the stop to enter traffic, make two lane changes and then make the left turn onto Harrison. This poorly designed bus stop is a direct result of the Portland Transit Mall project, and despite my complaints to TriMet about this bus stop it has not been addressed. I feel bad for the bus drivers who have to deal with this - and each one I have asked have said they hate the stop. Yet their only other option is to not stop there (where passengers could be waiting), confusing riders who want to ride the bus. Inappropriate comment? Alert us. Reply to this comment | Post a new comment chadicus01 Posted by chadicus01 April 29, 2010, 2:57PM "The man exited the westbound bus just before it turned left from Northwest Glisan onto Broadway, killing two of the pedestrians and seriously injuring a third." and....... "That's not true," she said. "There was a man on the bus. He got off and disappeared into the crowd. I saw him. My son saw him." Well which is it? Did the guy bail out as the bus was moving? Saying he got off and disappeared into the crowd seems like it implies he was "ON" the bus at the time of the accident does it not? I'm a little confused with the conflicting statements. Very sorry for the folks who lost loved ones here and wish them the best by the way. I would like to see all the facts of this case come out is all. Important it happens sooner rather than later so time can start healing. Inappropriate comment? Alert us. Reply to this comment | Post a new comment hotwing Posted by hotwing April 29, 2010, 4:04PM It it impossible for anyone to exit the bus as it is moving. The interlocking system on that, and virtually all TriMet busses prevents the doors from opening while the bus is moving, and prevents the bus from moving until the doors are completely closed. She made a "courtesy stop" for the man in question just before she turned onto Broadway. No conspiracy, no "Badge Man on the Grassy Knoll". Inappropriate comment? Alert us. Reply to this comment | Post a new comment sp_redelectric Posted by SP Red Electric April 29, 2010, 7:42PM For the facts, the front doors (at least on the 1400-1900 series) are NOT interlocked. In fact it used to be common practice on a hot day for the driver to run the bus with the front door open, but TriMet banned that practice years ago. Not too long ago I rode such a bus where the door mechanism failed, and the Operator did drive the bus a couple stops with the door wide open. At the following stop she closed the door and instructed all riders to use the rear door (as it was an express bus she wasn't picking up any more riders). On buses in Seattle it is still common practice for the Operator to open the front door before the bus comes to a complete stop, and to close the door after the bus starts rolling. But not in Portland. Inappropriate comment? Alert us. Reply to this comment | Post a new comment inthewilds Posted by inthewilds April 29, 2010, 8:07PM Brut strength can conquer any door. If was wanted by the man, and a accident occurred. Bam I'm gone. Inappropriate comment? Alert us. Reply to this comment | Post a new comment tootall4u Posted by tootall4u April 29, 2010, 3:06PM So whats the big freakin' deal? Tri-Met said the bus was empty when the crash occurred and it was. No on asked them if there was a passenger on board PRIOR to the accident. Inappropriate comment? Alert us. Reply to this comment | Post a new comment seymourg Posted by seymourg April 29, 2010, 3:08PM Eerily, it almost looks like Jack Kevorkian... Inappropriate comment? Alert us. Reply to this comment | Post a new comment 2fly4pdx Posted by 2fly4pdx April 29, 2010, 9:10PM i was thinking the same thing Inappropriate comment? Alert us. Reply to this comment | Post a new comment yankeeshogun Posted by yankeeshogun April 29, 2010, 3:15PM That's why they want to interview him, because of the conflicting statements. He would be a valuable witness in terms of shedding light on her driving manners, attitude etc. since he was the only one on the bus. However given the fact that he is wearing a suit in Portland, I wonder if he was only visiting the city. Unless of course he is a customer rep or security guard at the Rose Quarter (as mentioned by areaume) or hotel, etc. Inappropriate comment? Alert us. Reply to this comment | Post a new comment ordub Posted by ordub April 29, 2010, 3:17PM Gonna be one helluva lawsuit. Inappropriate comment? Alert us. Reply to this comment | Post a new comment travis13 Posted by travis13 April 29, 2010, 3:29PM You haven't made it clear: was this person on the bus during the accident, or not? One witness says the person got off the bus and disappeared into the crowd, claiming he WAS on the bus during the accident. But you say this, and attribute it to no one: "The man exited the westbound bus just before it turned left from Northwest Glisan onto Broadway, killing two of the pedestrians and seriously injuring a third." This is too important for shoddy reporting. Get your crap together, Joseph Rose. Inappropriate comment? Alert us. Reply to this comment | Post a new comment https://www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawlew77cqxHnwwBQWV9uz1RaTKNR1M0-V9c Posted by homerhomer April 29, 2010, 3:29PM It's a ghost! Inappropriate comment? Alert us. Reply to this comment | Post a new comment alanbluehole Posted by alanbluehole April 29, 2010, 3:33PM Ross Perot? Inappropriate comment? Alert us. Reply to this comment | Post a new comment boomer1949 Posted by boomer1949 April 29, 2010, 3:33PM She let the passenger off at the corner of Glisan & Broadway, then looked behind her while pulling out into traffic and making a left turn at the same time. She probably didn't glance ahead again in time to see the crowd in the crosswalk. Inappropriate comment? Alert us. Reply to this comment | Post a new comment utprof Posted by utprof April 29, 2010, 3:40PM The driver was from Long Beach. How long a day had she had commuting from there? Inappropriate comment? Alert us. Reply to this comment | Post a new comment HauteHarry Posted by Haute Harry April 29, 2010, 3:58PM When a vehicle is turning left, it is firstly the vehicle driver's responsibility to confirm they can proceed safely. This means they are clear of any other vehicle traffic... ahead, behind, beside them. Secondly, the vehicle driver must also confirm no other users of the road are in their way, e.g. pedestrians, animals, obstructions/debris, etc. As for pedestrians, it is always their logical responsibility to confirm they can traverse any road, sidewalk, path, etc. safely. Not sure if these pedestrians were already in the crosswalk when the bus driver began her turn, but if they were not, then THEY should have not walked into the road (since the bus was already turning). IF they began crossing as soon as they came to the curb (and I am assuming they had the Walk light prior to them arriving at the curb), then they were in their right. But, they may have become Dead Right. As so often with many of us, we (drivers and pedestrians) are too often in a hurry and don't take the extra/necessary time to determine if our actions are sufficient safe for us to proceed. This could be a case where both parties are somewhat at fault. Unfortunately, some had to pay with their life because of (possibly) their own inattentiveness. Inappropriate comment? Alert us. Reply to this comment | Post a new comment Rich Osterma Posted by ORnative April 29, 2010, 4:58PM The pedestrians were already over half way across the street when the bus turned into them.... Inappropriate comment? Alert us. 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