What started as a late-night hit-and-run in Northeast Portland earlier this month has turned into a homicide investigation, after the victim died 11 days later from his injuries.
Edouard Bisimwa Kongolo, 51, died on April 18 from injuries he suffered in an April 7 crash near Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Northeast Killingsworth Street, according to the Portland Police Bureau. Police say the driver took off and did not stay at the scene, and investigators with the bureau’s Traffic Investigations Unit are still trying to piece together what happened. Authorities disclosed the delayed fatality in an April 25 press release that again underscored how serious hit-and-run collisions have become in the city.
Officers were dispatched to the area at about 10:51 p.m. on April 7 and found a man with serious injuries, the bureau stated. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital and admitted. The crash was recorded under case number 26-100089, and at first investigators did not believe his injuries were life-threatening. A Traffic Investigations Unit supervisor was notified on April 18 that the patient had died from injuries sustained in the collision.
As reported by KOIN, the victim was identified as Edouard Bisimwa Kongolo, and the bureau has made extensive efforts to locate his family, who are believed to be living abroad. KOIN noted that its reporting closely followed the police account and that investigators have not released any information about a suspect.
Police asking for tips as investigation continues
According to the Portland Police Bureau, the hit-and-run remains under investigation and no arrests have been made. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Portland Police Bureau through its online tip form referenced in the bureau’s release.
Investigators say they are not releasing suspect details at this stage, but stress that sightings of a possible license plate, home-surveillance or dash-cam video, and eyewitness accounts could be critical in tracking down the vehicle involved.
Where this fits in Portland's bigger traffic picture
The bureau’s release states this was Portland’s 14th traffic-related fatality of the year, the fifth pedestrian death, and the city’s second hit-and-run fatality in 2026. According to the Portland Bureau of Transportation Portland 2025 Deadly Traffic Crash Report, pedestrians remain overrepresented in traffic deaths, and the city continues to focus its engineering and policy efforts on the High Crash Network in hopes of reducing future tragedies.
Anyone with information about the April 7 crash is asked to reference case number 26-100089 when contacting investigators. Those with tips can use the PPB tip form linked in the bureau’s release or reach out to the Portland Police Bureau Public Information Office for more details.
