PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — One person died and 6 others were hurt, including 3 children, in a 2-car crash in North Portland Saturday afternoon.
The crash at North Columbia and Peninsular happened around 2:20 p.m., police said. One person was already dead when emergency responders arrived. The passenger wandered off but was found and taken for treatment at a nearby hospital.
There were 5 people in the other car, including the 3 kids. All were taken to the hospital and their conditions have not been released.
One person died and 6 others were hurt, including 3 children, in a two-car crash on North Columbia Boulevard and North Peninsular Avenue in Portland, April 30, 2022 (KOIN) 
One person died and 6 were hurt, including 3 children, in a crash on North Columbia and Peninsular in Portland, April 30, 2022 (KOIN)
‘He fishtailed into oncoming traffic’
John Connor, who said he’s been living on the streets for 10 years, was working on his motorcycle in his tent when the crash happened.
“I heard the bang of what I think was the guy’s tire blowing out as he fishtailed into the oncoming traffic and got nailed. The oncoming driver didn’t have enough time to get out of the way and just hit him,” Connor told KOIN 6 News.
“Saw the impact and I grabbed my knife to cut off the seat belts and just bolted into traffic. Like I didn’t even look to see if there was anyone coming. I just ran over to the car and started cutting the passenger’s seat belt off because I could smell the gas and wasn’t sure if it was going to go up or not. I dragged him out and started doing the concussion protocol,” he continued.
Connor went over to the driver but said there was nothing he could do to help him.
“There wasn’t anything anyone else or I could have done,” said Connor. “I tried to get some stuff out to put pressure on the wound but by the time I did that he was gone.”
He believed the passenger “had a major concussion. He was in shock and he just wandered off while I was helping the driver. He was walking, just lurching like a zombie from ‘The Walking Dead.’ Guy didn’t even know he’d been in an accident or what his own name was.”
Connor said it’s not the first time he’s seen a deadly crash or another emergency, but it was a no-brainer to try and help. “Living on the streets for 10 years, you see a lot of stuff,” he said.
Portland police closed N. Columbia in both directions between N. Peninsular and Argyle Way during the investigation.
This is the 26th major crash PPB has responded to this year, the third in less than 24 hours. This also marks the 21st traffic-related death in 2022.