Tragedy struck the St. Johns Neighborhood when a horrific car crash on North Marine Drive claimed the lives of two teenagers last week. The Portland Police Bureau identified the victims as Cristian Perez Hernandez, 18, and Gabriel Sanchez, 16, both of whom suffered fatal injuries when their car erupted into flames following a collision. According to the Portland Police Bureau, authorities are now urging witnesses to step forward and assist in the ongoing investigation.
The crash, which occurred on Saturday, February 10 at around 11:02 p.m., prompted a swift response from North Precinct and Traffic Division officers. Found burning fiercely in the aftermath, one vehicle required the services of Portland Fire & Rescue to extinguish the blaze. The officers responding to the report of a two-vehicle crash, encountered a dreadful scene: two people deceased in the burned car, with at least one more person whisked away to the hospital with traumatic injuries.
The intersection was closed for a thorough investigation by the Portland Police Traffic Division Major Crash Team, with North Marine Drive shut down from North Bybee Lake Road to North Pacific Gateway Boulevard. With the crash being the 10th and 11th traffic-related fatalities in the city this year, police are asking anyone with information, or with video or photographic evidence of the events, to email [email protected] and reference case number 24-33954.
Meanwhile, the silent witnesses of that fateful night, before fleeing the scene most of whom have yet to offer their testimonies, harbor potentially crucial information that could clarify the circumstances leading to this heartbreaking incident. These are the types of traffic-related deaths that may not even make it into the count by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as their criteria exclude certain categories of crashes. Nonetheless, the community grieves, while authorities endeavor to piece together the puzzle of this fatal event.
