A Gresham woman is facing a slate of charges after a June 16 crash in East Portland that left a man trapped under a pickup and rushed to the hospital with serious injuries. Investigators say the driver swerved into a parked Ford F-150 near Southeast 148th Avenue and Stark Street, shoving the truck into a pedestrian who ended up pinned beneath the right-front tire.
Firefighters and paramedics lifted the pickup off the man, then took him to Oregon Health & Science University. Court records describe a likely punctured lung, a fractured pelvis, and additional head and shoulder injuries. Authorities say the driver left the scene after the initial collision and, a few blocks away, hit another vehicle before officers took her into custody.
According to The Oregonian/OregonLive, a probable-cause affidavit and other court documents say 41-year-old Laila Wafiq Hassouneh admitted taking “shots of gin.” Officers reported smelling cannabis in the car and noted a partially empty bottle in the center console. The affidavit also describes Hassouneh as unsteady on her feet, with droopy eyelids and slurred speech when police contacted her.
The documents state that she fled after the first collision, then crashed into a white Honda a short distance away in Gresham. Prosecutors say Hassouneh was booked on multiple counts and arraigned the following day. Filings reviewed by reporters list second- and third-degree assault, failure to perform the duties of a driver, DUII, reckless driving, and reckless endangerment among the charges.
State context: rising drug- and alcohol-related crashes
The Oregon Department of Transportation's Impaired Driving Strategic Plan flags a growing role for drug impairment in serious crashes and notes that drug-only fatal crashes have now surpassed alcohol-only fatalities in recent years. According to the plan from the Oregon Department of Transportation, marijuana, methamphetamine, and fentanyl are showing up more often in toxicology results, which can complicate investigations that also involve alcohol.
The report explains that Oregon does not have a per se limit for drugs the way it does for alcohol, so investigators and prosecutors frequently rely on observable signs of impairment and specialized testing to build a case.
What the charges could mean
Per Oregon Public Law, state DUII cases can be proved either through chemical tests or by showing that a driver's faculties were noticeably impaired. When DUII is paired with assault or reckless endangerment tied to serious injury, potential penalties can increase significantly.
That mix of allegations can expose a defendant to higher fines and possible jail time if convicted, and prosecutors are expected to weigh the severity of the pedestrian's injuries when deciding whether to pursue felony enhancements. Court filings indicate Hassouneh has no prior felony convictions in Oregon, and the case remains under investigation while medical records and other evidence are reviewed.
Specific bail conditions and upcoming court dates were not immediately available in the public records examined for this article. Prosecutors in Multnomah County will determine the next steps as the investigation continues and additional hearings are scheduled.
