A 79-year-old bicyclist was killed last Friday afternoon after an SUV hit him as he tried to cross Highway 99E near Cleveland Street in Woodburn, shutting down one of the city’s busiest corridors for hours and pulling in multiple agencies to respond.
Police Say The Driver Stayed On Scene
KATU, citing Oregon State Police, reported that the SUV was driven by 24-year-old Eduardo Felix Diaz of Woodburn. Troopers said Diaz was not injured and cooperated with investigators, while Howard Roy Hagen was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to state police, the Woodburn Fire District, Woodburn Police Department, Marion County Sheriff's Office and the Oregon Department of Transportation all responded to the crash. Investigators have not said whether speed, distraction or any other factor may have played a role.
Why Highway 99E Keeps Coming Up
The death happened on a stretch of OR 99E that a safety study from the Oregon Department of Transportation says still sees high crash rates, including serious injury and fatal crashes. The agency says it has been evaluating sidewalks, new crossings and lighting between Young Street and Mount Hood Avenue.
That matters in Woodburn because the highway is not just a route for drivers passing through. It cuts straight through town, where people still need to cross it on foot or by bike. For now, this latest deadly crash leaves the same question hanging over the corridor: what will actually make 99E safer for everyone who uses it?
