Portland officer hit by two suspected DUII drivers within in five months

PORTLAND, Ore. – A Portland Police officer was seriously injured in a crash along Interstate 205 early Tuesday morning, marking the second time in five months he was hit by an alleged drunk driver.

The latest crash happened around 12:30 a.m. along I-205 northbound between Powell and Division.

Police officials say that officer was on-duty with the overhead lights on his cruiser lit up. He was also parked in a high-visibility position to help protect crews in a work zone.

Investigators say there’s evidence that the woman who crashed an SUV into the back of the officer's patrol car may have been under the influence.

“You know, I think the picture speaks for itself. Really, we're fortunate our officer survived this impact,” said Lt. Tina Jones.

Both the officer and the SUV driver were seriously hurt, but both are expected to survive.

The same officer was involved in another crash with a suspected DUII driver back in November.

In that incident, the officer had pulled over a speeding driver in the early morning hours of November 2, 2018 when another driver rear-ended his motorcycle. He was thrown from the motorbike, but suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

More information from Portland Police:

Drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs injure and kill thousands of people every year. People consuming alcohol or drugs are urged not to get behind the wheel and should have a sober driver or utilize taxis, ride-share companies or transit so everyone is safe on our streets.

The Portland Police Bureau is committed to working with our partners in government and the community to create safer streets and work towards reducing, and eventually eliminating, traffic fatalities as part of Vision Zero.

How often officers are hit by drivers along the road: