PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) – A motorcyclist drove people several times Monday through the streets and sidewalks of Portland, Oregon, killing an elderly woman who was dragged under the wheels. The man tried to flee on foot, but neighbors surrounded him until police arrived and took him into custody.
Five more people were injured and taken to hospitals. Authorities said they believed there were more injured people who did not need ambulance transport.
Shortly after 1 p.m., police received a call because a driver had hit a pedestrian, according to Portland Police Office spokesman Derek Carmon.
Then came additional calls from people who said a person driving the same suspicious vehicle, a Honda Element, was hitting other people and vehicles, he said.
Larry Wolfe told The Oregonian / OregonLive that he had an appointment to meet the person who died, a woman in her 70s. He said he saw her hit by the car and yelled, and that he was walking towards her when the car came back, hit her again, made a turn and dragged her down the pavement.
The motorcyclist ended up crashing the Honda for the last time, fled on foot and with the help of the community, was arrested by police, Carmon said. A group of people saw him flee the scene and cornered him until police were able to arrest him.
Police did not immediately release the identities of the driver or his victims. The crime scene extends to at least 15 islands in the city.