Neighbors say intersection where off-duty deputy was killed in crash has a dangerous reputation
Deputy Richard "Rich" Thompson was off the clock from his job at the Washington County Sheriff's Office when he was seriously injured near the intersection of Southwest 201st Avenue and West Baseline Road Wednesday evening.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — In the wake of a community in mourning following the traffic death of an off-duty sheriff's deputy, locals in the area say the intersection where it happened has a dangerous reputation.
Deputy Richard "Rich" Thompson was off the clock from his job at the Washington County Sheriff's Office when he was seriously injured near the intersection of Southwest 201st Avenue and West Baseline Road Wednesday evening. The crash happened while he was riding home from work on his own electric scooter around 5 p.m. Deputies and community members responded at the scene, officials said, but he died moments later.
An overall sense of sorrow for Thompson's family now hangs in the air at that same intersection, which several neighbors told KOIN 6 News can get pretty busy during rush hour. Two witnesses, a woman named Shawna and her daughter, said the moments leading up to the crash were terrifying.
"I don't know exactly what happened but I did see the scooter on the ground and the car on the side of the road," Shawna said. "She [my daughter] was closer, she saw everything. She saw when they pulled his helmet off, he was coughing up blood at that point."
Colleagues of Thompson, who has been working with the Washington County Sheriff's Office since 2001, are remembering the best moments of his long law enforcement career.
"He was an extraordinary deputy, father, spouse, teammate and friend, who lived an extraordinary life with the family he loved extraordinarily," said Sheriff Caprice Massey.
Neighbors who live near the intersection where the deadly crash happened said it is a constant danger.
"You have to really have your head on a swivel. Especially during rush hour," Ned Blaisdill said. "Well, I usually commute on my scooter here in the mornings, and I've had people just kind of disregard."
Blaisdill said he uses his Onewheel, an electric scooter device with a single wheel, to get to and from work regularly.
"Maybe there's not enough lights on these scooters or something, but yeah there's been several times where they just like don't see me coming," he said.
Thompson is survived by two his two kids and his wife, who his colleagues said they grew to know and love.
"We are wrapping our arms around the Thompson family, and around each other, as we all grieve this incredible loss," Massey said.
The Forest Grove Police Department is taking the lead on the investigation. They said the driver involved in the crash is cooperating. There's also a GoFundMe set up for the Thompson family as they grapple with this devastating loss.