Portland man hit intentionally by driver on Pedalpalooza ride shares his story – BikePortland

Around 7:00 pm on June 2nd, Portlander Vivek Jeevan was part of a group of about 30 cyclists on a ride that’s part of the Bike Summer festival. As he and another rider were in the back of the group headed north on Northeast 7th Ave approaching NE Holladay, they were approached by two aggressive car drivers. One of the drivers intentionally drove into Viv. The incident shocked and startled him and even days after it happened, Viv was unable to ride as he processed the fear and trauma.

Viv is a dedicated cycling advocate, the bicycle education coordinator for BikeLoud PDX, and certified bike riding instructor who offers private riding lessons and bicycle education courses via his Portland Bicycle School business.

I asked Viv to write about the incident. Below is a slightly edited account of what happened:

Spirits were high as it was the 2^nd day of Pedalpalooza, and the Kickoff Ride was the night before. We’d just left our meeting location at Colonel Summers Park. We were and 10-15 minutes into the ride. The ride was proceeding at an unusually fast pace, but Lynn (friend I rode with) and I were keeping up.  

I was dealing with multiple road conditions at the time. The ride started to stretch out, and Lynn was falling behind. Lynn and I were at the tail end of the ride, and there were still cyclists directly in front of us. Lynn was in the bike lane, I was to her right in the traffic lane. I was talking to Lynn, asking how she was feeling, and she said she was struggling to keep up with the pace of the ride.  

At that moment, an aggressive driver approached behind us. I could hear him revving his engine and getting close. I quickly moved into the bike lane behind Lynn, and when the driver passed us, I resumed my position in the traffic lane. I immediately worried, because then the driver revved and got close to the cyclist in front of me. I wondered if I should start taking video, or yell a warning to the cyclists. At the same time, I was talking to Lynn. I asked her if she wanted to quit the ride, and she said “yes”.  I said we’d get off the road at the next intersection.  

At this point, a second aggressive driver approached behind us. He honked and yelled various anti-bicycle things continually: “Get out of the way, you bicyclists think you own the road!” We were headed North on 7^th Street. Lynn was in the bike lane. I was on her right near her, to talk her through the problem she was having, so I was “riding to the right” in the traffic lane. I don’t know if this second aggressive driver could see the entire Pedalpalooza group and was angry at all of us, or if he could see just me and Lynn (and maybe a few other cyclists), since the first aggressive driver had gotten in front of me, splitting up the group ride that was already starting to stretch out.

From the moment I heard him yelling, we were about 3-5 seconds away from an intersection at Holladay St. I was planning to tell Lynn that we’d get onto the sidewalk there. The traffic lane I was in was only wide enough for one car. I ignored this second aggressive driver, thinking we’d get out of his way in just a few seconds. And in general, there are screaming people throughout Portland that I ignore and just move away from quickly.  

But the second angry driver suddenly lurched forward, and he intentionally struck me. 

There were only a few seconds between when he started honking and screaming from behind us, and when he accelerated into me. His side mirror collapsed on the impact. I remember it hitting my shoulder. It didn’t knock me down, and I can’t remember if or how much it pushed me to the side. Immediately after the collision, we were at the light at 7^th and Holladay. The light was previously green, and I remember the light turning, and thinking, ‘He hit me, now we’re stuck together at the light.’ I don’t remember if the driver slowed at the light, or came to at a full stop. He decided to run the light. I can’t recall if it was a late yellow, or a full red, but the driver decided to high-tail it away.

I chased him, screaming “hit and run!” So I too went through the light, which was likely red at that point. I expected to try and take a photo of the plate, then call 911 and report a hit and run. However, the driver pulled into a parking space at the north end of the intersection. I then realized I was going to have to face him. I called 911. He came out of his vehicle screaming at me, walking menacingly, and waving his arms. Fortunately a security guard heard the commotion and walked towards us, keeping himself between me and the driver.

The driver seemed like a person who wasn’t doing well. His face had the appearance of drug abuse. His visual appearance, jerky mannerisms, and speech pattern were those of other Portland residents who are screaming on the sidewalks. He was screaming continually at me, and couldn’t keep a logical train of thought or argument. His yelling jumped back and forth between phrases that I’m listing here by category, removing a lot of swearing: “You were in my way, how dare you ride in front of me, you think you’re the king of the road, bicyclists think they own the street, why did you call 911, this is nothing, how could you call the police, why did you do this, you’re making a big deal out of nothing!”

911 took the call immediately. They asked for vehicle information, which I was able to fully give since the driver had parked.  Two officers arrived in a few minutes. One officer stood in one place, remaining silent and watching. Officer Kyle Williams (badge number #62010) did all the work.  

Officer Williams separated the driver and myself, and talked to us one at a time. He asked for my Oregon ID card, and I heard him ask for the driver’s license and insurance. When he interviewed me, his first concern was the location of the crash. I showed him the street. His first question was where I was riding. When I explained that I was with a Pedalpalooza group of 30 cyclists, and I was in the traffic lane because the bike lane was occupied, his face lit up. He smiled as if he’d just solved a challenge problem. “You caused this because you were in the car lane,” the officer said to me. “You’re legally required to be in the bike lane for your protection.” (Note: The law that pertains to this situation, ORS 814.430, says a bicycle rider can leave the bike lane if they are overtaking another rider. Also of note is that Viv is very knowledgable about this law because he was part of a group that sought to repeal it.)

I knew from my experience reviewing crash reports that I had just a few minutes to give my story for his report, which would then become the permanent record, so I had to explain difficult traffic law and bike safety concepts in quick sound bites. I was not given enough time to explain much of anything. My response, for better or worse, was, “I’m a traffic instructor. I teach traffic skills, and I know my rights.” (I can attest that Viv travels with a bi-folded business card that lists key bike laws.) But the officer brushed off my comments with a quick phrase like “we’ll see about that” or something of that nature, and immediately changed the subject.  

When he interviewed the driver, the driver was still yelling and frantically waving his arms. I heard Officer Williams once or twice tell him to calm down.  

After having interviewed us both, Officer Williams handed me back my Oregon ID along with his business card. He said, “Nothing criminal has happened. I have conflicting stories… you tell me he intentionally struck you, he said you intentionally hit his mirror (so apparently the driver came up with a quick lie). You are both at fault. The driver should have waited for you, and you provoked him by being in the car lane. You’re both ignorant.”

At this point, I didn’t say a word, and left the scene. It felt like his decision was already made, and he was already visibly irritated with me, and clearly used the word “ignorant” to not cross the line — using that to replace the vulgarity of what he truly thought of me.   

When I walked away, I felt my knee hurt. At the time of the crash, I only remember my elbow being hit, and the feeling of the vehicle at my side. It’s possible the vehicle also hit my knee, or maybe I was imagining the pain.

Viv has engaged a lawyer and is pursuing his legal options.

This is a very disappointing police interaction. I’ve known Viv for several years and he rides with extreme care and caution. To have him dismissed, called “ignorant” and both-sided like that, is disturbing. It’s a good illustration of how inadequate our system is when it comes to responding to vehicular violence. This is also a validation of fears many Portlanders have, and it’s another reason some folks choose to not ride bikes at all.

I share this because I hear a lot of stories about aggressive drivers and I worry that police officers are either unable or unwilling to handle them with the care and urgency they require. Creating a great cycling city is about much more than infrastructure. It’s about a pro-cycling culture that takes vehicular violence seriously.

Thanks Viv for sharing your story. Sorry this happened to you and I hope to see you back on your bike very soon.