NE Halsey looking eastbound as it approaches Fairview.
Early this past Saturday morning at 2:02 am, 25-year-old Timothy James Zehner was hit and killed by a car user while riding his bike in Fairview, about three miles east of the Portland border.
Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office says it happened near the intersection of NE Halsey and Fairview Avenue. Here’s more from their official statement:
A witness reported that the driver had initially stopped, then quickly left the scene. A responding deputy spotted a vehicle that matched the description of the involved car and initiated a traffic stop. The driver was pulled over and was arrested. The driver is identified as 56-year old Robert Lee Wilson. He was later lodged at the Multnomah County Detention Center.
Wilson’s car. (Photo: Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office)
Paramedics arrived and pronounced the bicyclist dead on scene. Due to the severity and criminal nature of the crash, the East County Vehicular Crimes Team (VCT) was called to perform the investigation.
Preliminary investigation shows that two bicyclists were riding eastbound on NE Halsey Street, approaching NE Fairview Parkway, when Wilson’s vehicle crossed into the bike lane and stuck one of the bicyclists.
In a follow-up email the Sheriff’s office yesterday, they confirmed with me that Wilson remains in custody and has been charged with aggravated assault, DUII, hit and run, and reckless driving.
NE Halsey is a major east-west arterial in this area. The bike lane in this location is unprotected and relatively narrow. It also merges across the adjacent traffic lanes before the intersection so that bike riders can be on the left of drivers prior to them making a right turn. It’s unclear what might have led up to this collision.
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