3 People Hurt In Street Race-Related 2-Car Crash: Police

PORTLAND, OR — Three people were hurt and one man was cited by police following a two-car crash on North Marine Drive Sunday night that was reportedly the result of an illegal street-racing event.

Misael Albarran-Salazar, 21, was cited for speed racing and both reckless and careless driving. Because he may have sustained injuries in the crash, he was released for medical evaluation.

Portland officers from the Bureau's North Precinct were dispatched just before 11:30 p.m. June 17 to a crash associated with a racing event in the 6300-block of North Marine Drive.

According to witnesses, a black Ford Mustang driven by Albarran-Salazar was speeding east on North Marine Drive when it collided with a silver Chevrolet Malibu that was turning south into a parking lot from the westbound lanes.

Three people in the Malibu were taken to hospital by ambulance with what police described as serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

An unspecified number of people in the Mustang, including Albarran-Salazar received medical attention at the scene but refused ambulance transport to hospital.

Both the Malibu and Mustang were towed and seized as evidence, police said.

Anyone who may have witnessed the crash, or who knows more about the illegal street races on North Marine Drive, is asked to contact Portland police at 503-823-3333.

The entire stretch of Marine Drive in north Portland sees street race-related crashes with some regularity.

An illegal street-racing event on Northeast Marine Drive last Sunday resulted in two arrests when people at the event tried to prevent police from intervening.

Last month, on May 6,a street-racing event near North Marine Drive and North Leadbetter Road ended with a two-car-crash that left one person injured.

And one year ago, on June 25, Paul Paliy, 18, and Petro Hurzhuy, 24, were both lodged at the Multnomah County Jail after police arrested them and cited nine other people who were engaged in illegal racing on North Marine Drive.

The Portland Police Bureau would like the community to know that street racing can be very dangerous and is also illegal. Drivers participating in the racing or assisting by blocking traffic on the roadway can be arrested and charged with a variety of crimes — both misdemeanor and felony.

Street racing have contributed to several traffic deaths over the past few years, including:

December 4, 2015, 65-year-old Linda Johnston was killed when two motorcycle riders engaged in a race crashed into her car at Southeast 160th Avenue and Stark Street. Both riders were arrested and sentenced to prison.

* January 23, 2016, 20-year-old Nick Alexandar Chernyavskiy died after crashing his motorcycle while racing another motorcycle rider on Northeast Airport Way near 145th Avenue.
* March 6, 2016, 26-year-old Alexander Keppinger was critically injured in a crash on Northeast Glisan Street near 139th Avenue involving two drivers racing. Keppinger died a few weeks later.
* April 21, 2017, 19-year-old Daniel Kharlamov died after a high-speed crash on Southeast Powell Boulevard near 37th Avenue.

Drivers who seek to race their cars or motorcycles are encouraged to find a safer, legal alternative to blocking public roadways and putting themselves and others a risk of personal injury.

Several opportunities exist at the Portland International Raceway for drivers interested in using the track.

For more information, please visit PortlandRaceway.com.

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