Community calls for safety and responsibility after two cyclists were hit and killed in Portland the same day

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – On Saturday, Portland’s cycling community remembered two of its own cyclists, both killed in separate crashes on the same day in northeast Portland.

A memorial service began the corner of Northeast Marx Street and 105th Avenue, where Damon Cousins was struck and killed while riding his bike around 9 a.m. on Oct. 21, his family says.

“It is always very scary when you hear of someone being killed on a bicycle. Hearing two people is even worse,” said Kiel Johnson, vice president of the advocacy group BikeLoud PDX.

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One man was killed early Friday morning in a scooter crash in southeast Portland, the Portland Police Bureau said.

They joined Families for Safe Streets to call for more responsibility from both motorists and the city.

“Your first instinct is always, ‘Is it someone I know that was hit and killed?’” Johnson said.

After a vigil in Cousins’ honor, the group biked four miles through northeast Portland — a journey Johnson described as “dangerous” — to Northeast Glisan and 128th.

That was the place where an unknown motorcyclist died in a collision on October 21 at 2:30 am.

Portland police said these two were the third and fourth cyclists killed in traffic crashes in 2024.

Johnson said the Northeast Glisan intersection is a perfect example of how Portland’s cycling infrastructure is failing the community.

“There’s a concrete barrier in front of where this person was killed, a physical barrier, but where they were hit it’s just paint and plastic wands. What we know is that paint and plastic wands are not enough,” he said. “And there’s a trash can, debris on the bike paths.”

BikeLoud PDX advocates for 25% of Portland’s traffic to be done by bike by 2030. To achieve that goal, Johnson says the city needs to make cycling less deadly.

“These kinds of things will continue to happen as long as our infrastructure is as poor as it is now,” he said.

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A Portland police officer is recovering from minor injuries after a suspected drunk driver crashed into his car on Interstate 5 Wednesday, police said.

In addition to adding new infrastructure, Johnson said maintaining Portland’s existing bike lanes is also important, and will benefit motorists as well.

“I’m also a driver, a lot of people who drive cars also ride bikes,” Johnson said. “When I’m driving, I don’t want to hit and kill anyone. I don’t think anyone wants that.”

Sarah Risser of Families for Safe Streets said cyclists can increase visibility with reflective clothing and lights, but nothing can protect against an inattentive driver.

“When you cycle you are more vulnerable and it is – I think – the responsibility of the people driving the larger vehicles to make sure they are safe on the road,” Johnson said.

Portland police are still looking for the driver responsible for the collision at NE Glisan and 128th. They ask anyone with information to contact [email protected], attention: Traffic Investigations Unit, and reference case number 24-269766.