A deadly encounter in Southeast Portland has left a cyclist dead and a community in shock, as a driver is behind bars facing manslaughter charges. The collision occurred near SE Belmont and MLK Jr. Boulevard, with a 22-year-old identified as Shane M. McKeever accused of striking 49-year-old David Bentley, who was on his bicycle, according to BikePortland.
Witnesses told investigators that before fleeing the scene, McKeever hit Bentley around 3:00 am Sunday morning, as reported by KPTV, throwing Bentley's body nearly 50 feet in the air. Bentley was taken to a hospital where he later died. A local, who managed to hold McKeever down until police arrived, captured him after he had initially fled. There was some chaos as shots were reportedly fired at McKeever's vehicle, though no shooter has been found.
According to details gathered by KOIN, McKeever is currently on probation for an assault conviction from 2022. This egregious act of reckless driving has now escalated McKeever's legal troubles, as he faces first-degree manslaughter and reckless driving charges.
In a grim revelation, court documents allege that McKeever had initiated an argument with people at a homeless camp before the incident. It's been suggested that he deliberately targeted Bentley by driving into him at a high speed, causing the fatal collision. Eyewitnesses further claimed that McKeever hit several tents and attempted to strike another individual. These details hint at a dire scene, with lives at stake and a man taken too soon while his back was turned to the road on his bike, as per information collected by The Oregonian.
The aftermath displayed the car's hood severely damaged and an encampment spilling over into traffic lanes, underscoring the dangerous conditions residents and travelers face in this slice of Southeast Portland. McKeever's actions have torn through a tapestry of precarious lives, leaving the community to reckon with the intersection of vulnerability and violence.
