Bend woman says four cars damaged in hit-and-run crashes on Portland Avenue
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- In the past week, four cars were left damaged after several hit-and-run crashes on Portland Avenue.
That's according to Lenora James, a property manager on Portland Avenue in northwest Bend.
“Whoever is missing these parts off their car is probably the car that hit mine,” James said Wednesday, holding car parts in her hand.
James lives off Portland Avenue herself -- and said her car was hit while parked along the curb, and now needs serious repair.
“Whoever hit it, hit it so hard, my whole instrument panel has to be replaced,” James said.
Two of her tenant’s cars and a guest's car also were struck, with two losing a side mirror.
She said the construction on nearby Newport Avenue is bringing more traffic their way.
“We only have so much parking -- and when you have to park on the street, you’re vulnerable, apparently,” James said.
James said there are constantly cars speeding down College Way and turning quickly on to Portland. However, Bend police said at the moment, it’s not labeled as one of their bigger problem areas.
There was a DUII crash on the 27th, and James’s police report matched the details of the DUII.
A police report was never submitted for the cars that lost their mirrors.
Part of the city's 2020 transportation bond does include safety improvements on Portland Avenue, including vehicular connectivity, and two intersection improvements.
James wants traffic cones put up at the intersection, as well as speed bumps and a greater police presence.
“There's all sorts of things they can be doing. I’m not expecting a roundabout in the middle of Portland Ave -- that doesn’t make sense,” James said. “But there's logical things, if we all work together.”
Until those changes happen, she hopes informing people of the problem will make a difference.
“By blowing it up and asking people to drive 25 (mph), the ones that see those posts will drive 25 and slow down the other people in the high volume times of day,” James said.
