PORTLAND, Ore. — Michael Weeks has managed the Eastport Food Center for the last two years. With his food cart pod sitting right on Southeast 82nd near the shopping center, Weeks has seen a lot, but nothing like the deadly hit-and-run crash he witnessed last Monday night.
"I heard the engine roar up and I looked up and saw him coming forward," Weeks said.
Security cameras captured all of it. The video shows the driver of a pickup truck pulling into the Eastport Plaza parking lot, turning around and stopping. Moments later a cyclist rides by, followed by a pedestrian. The driver of the truck floors it and plows into the person walking, who police later identified as 42-year-old Vincent Timothy.
"I've seen a lot of accidents out here," Weeks said. "I've seen people hit at the crosswalk here — but nothing like that."
Weeks said he has never seen anything like what happened next either.
After hitting the pedestrian, video shows the driver of the pickup truck turn around and attempt to hit the cyclist. Fortunately the driver failed. He then parks in the middle of Southeast 82nd. The driver gets out of the truck for a moment before getting back in and taking off.
Weeks said that he jumped into his own vehicle and gave chase. He caught up with the suspected hit-and-run driver at Lents Park. The two spoke briefly.
"He gets out of his vehicle, no problem, smoking a cigar, comes over and I was like, 'Portland is crazy', and he said 'yeah,'" Weeks recalled.
A short time later officers arrested the driver, later identified as Frederick Moore, 40. Moore was arraigned on June 16 and charged with second-degree murder and failure to perform the duties of a driver. He pleaded not guilty.
Court documents obtained by KGW say Moore told officers he intentionally hit the pedestrian. Court papers also indicate that Moore has a troubled past. He was convicted of second degree murder in Washington in the late nineties.
Weeks hopes that Moore is convicted of the deadly hit-and-run and put back in prison.
"I hope, you know, it takes its course and he goes away for awhile," Weeks said.
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