Tragedy struck last week in Southeast Portland as two young lives were abruptly ended in a car crash following a police chase of a reportedly stolen vehicle. The fatal event involved former students from Ida B. Wells High School, according to a letter from the school's principal shared with families, which was later released to the press. Dylan Brasky and Jayden Rolon-Ekis, both recent transfers to Portland Community College, were identified as the individuals who died at the scene.
Details leading up to the crash include police attempting to stop the vehicle around 12:15 a.m. near Southeast 159th Avenue and Division Street on June 25, as per OregonLive. The driver, however, chose to not comply and initiated the pursuit that ultimately resulted in the deadly crash at Southeast 139th Avenue and Southeast Division Street. The police pursuit ended abruptly when the vehicle hit another car and a utility pole, causing a power outage in the immediate vicinity.
In the aftermath, Principal Ayesha Coning of Ida B. Wells High School shared her condolences to the victims' families and friends, expressing hope for the recovery of the third passenger, "Our hearts go out to Dylan and Jayden’s families and friends," Coning wrote, "and we continue to wish CJ a full recovery." Noted in the incident report was Cole "CJ" Johnson, a recent graduate of Ida B. Wells, who suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash. The impact also unfortunately ensnared a bystander, as the driver of the struck vehicle sustained minor injuries, as reported by KOIN.
Portland police have indeed begun to thoroughly investigate the matter, finding the vehicle involved to have been stolen before the tragic incident. This crash contributes to an alarming number of traffic-related fatalities throughout the month of June, bringing serious discussion about vehicular safety and crime prevention back to the forefront of community concern. Sharing the distressing statistics, KGW notes that Portland police have counted nine traffic-related fatalities so far in June, which regrettably includes another double-fatality besides the one just reported.
