The streets bear witness yet again to the consequences of vehicular haste, as Northeast Marine Drive became the stage for a fatal encounter between a motorcycle and a car that has left one man dead. The incident, which occurred earlier this week, involved a motorcyclist aboard a 2006 Honda VFR800 and a 16-year-old girl driving a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta. According to a release on the City of Portland’s official website, the motorcyclist was traveling eastbound when the Jetta, moving in the opposite direction, turned into his path at Northeast 158th Avenue.
The aftereffects of the collision were dire for the rider, who was reportedly wearing his helmet at the time of the crash. The impact proved fatal, marking this as the city’s 23rd traffic fatality of the year. An unsettling statistic, it also stands as the sixth time a motorcycle rider has perished on Portland’s roads within the same timeframe. The teenage driver of the Volkswagen sustained no serious injuries. While no arrests or citations have been made, the completed case file will undergo review by the Multnomah County District Attorney, as is the norm in such tragedies. “Excessive speed is believed to be a contributing factor in the crash,” the City of Portland’s statement highlighted…