Four Killed In Crash At Oregon Homeless Camp

A driver crashed into a homeless camp in Salem, Oregon, early Sunday, killing four people and wounding others in the process. 

Fox News reported, “Police responded to the scene in the capital city around 2 a.m. Two people died at the scene and several others were taken to the hospital, where two others later died. Police have not released the names of the victims.”

According to ABC affiliate KATU, the driver was transported to the hospital, as well, and then was arrested on four counts of first-degree manslaughter, second-degree assault, six counts of reckless endangerment, and third-degree assault. 

Investigators of the incident have noted that they think alcohol might have played a role in the crash. Salem Police also said homeless advocates came to the site to offer help after the incident. 

“Initial reports state that the driver was heading north on Front Street and passing the Union intersection when their two-door sports coupe left the road and crashed into the encampment, pinning two people beneath the car,” the outlet noted. 

The people living in the camp said the driver crashed through multiple tents, hitting several trees “and ended up on the far end of the camp. Parts of the car were strewed across the encampment Sunday afternoon, including a headlamp and a bumper,” per KATU.

The camp is located on Oregon Department of Transportation property. 

The outlet noted:

In Portland, city officials recently issued an emergency declaration prohibiting camping in high-crash areas.

The declaration followed a PBOT crash report indicating an “alarming trend” that one out of every three traffic deaths involved a member of Portland’s homeless community.

KATU previously reported on the same homeless encampment, noting how workers at nearby businesses were upset about the homelessness issue and how the city has addressed it.

Fox News reported, “In nearby Portland, the homeless crisis has grown increasingly visible in recent years. During the area’s 2019 point-in-time count — a yearly census of sorts — an estimated 4,015 people were experiencing homelessness, with half of them ‘unsheltered’ or sleeping outside. Advocates say the numbers have likely significantly increased.”

According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness:

As of January 2020, Oregon had an estimated 14,655 experiencing homelessness on any given day, as reported by Continuums of Care to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Of that Total, 825 were family households, 1,329 were Veterans, 1,314 were unaccompanied young adults (aged 18-24), and 4,339 were individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.

The tragedy comes as homeless camps continue to be an increasing problem in major cities, where the policies of primarily liberal politicians have left the issue of homelessness unresolved. 

Last week, New York Mayor Eric Adams (D) announced that all of the homeless camps in New York City should be dismantled within two weeks. 

“We’re going to rid the encampments off our street and we’re going to place people in healthy living conditions with wraparound services,” Adams said, per The Guardian. 

“When you have those utilizing tunnel systems without any form of interaction of law enforcement, you could have a person that’s not only there to deal with the dangers of being homeless on the tracks, but you also have the potential person that’s trying to do something harmful,” he said.

Citizens of California have also grown tired of the lack of movement from politicians on the issue of homelessness.

A February poll showed that voters surveyed were most unhappy with Democratic Governor of California Gavin Newsom’s job dealing with homelessness, as well as the public safety and crime issue.

According to the poll, Newsom was most heavily criticized with regard to “his handling of homelessness (66% poor or very poor vs. 11% excellent or good) and his handling of the issue of crime and public safety (51% poor or very poor vs. 20% excellent or good). Both issues have also seen a double digit increase in the percentage of voters offering a negative assessment since 2020.”

The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest growing conservative media companies for breaking news, investigative reporting, sports, podcasts, in-depth analysis, books, and entertainment for a reason: because we believe in what we do. We believe in our country, in the value of truth and the freedom to speak it, and in the right to challenge tyranny wherever we see it. Believe the same? Become a member now and join our mission.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases