PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Deadly street racing took another life in Portland over the weekend.
The incident along North Marine Drive ended with a fiery crash, leaving one dead and two hospitalized. However, a bill in the Oregon Legislature would increase the penalties for street racing.
State Senator Chris Gorsek from Troutdale, who is a former police officer, is proposing a bill this legislative session to create stiffer punishments for street racing, including up to a year in prison or a $6,200 fine or both if convicted of street racing crimes. For drivers convicted a second time, the bill proposes up to five years in prison or a $125,000 fine or both.
Over the past several years, at least eight people have died in Portland due to street racing. Last week, a driver was arrested and charged with manslaughter for a crash in August 2022 that killed a 26-year-old mother who was waiting for a bus.
Portland city commissioners passed an ordinance a couple of years ago to make street racing and street takeovers a crime, with up to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine. Despite the move, the problem has gotten worse.
Law enforcement agencies have teamed up at times to run missions to stop and arrest street racers, who often post their plans on social media. But it’s not stopping the activity.
“I have gotten called out to these fatal crashes and have witnessed the devastation of what people perceive as fun,” said Sgt. Ty Engstrom with PPB. “What ends up happening is that people’s lives are lost or ruined forever.”
Gorsek’s bill is in the Senate Judiciary Committee, waiting to be scheduled for a hearing.