A Democratic congresswoman from Oregon made headlines this weekend after an accident left her hospitalized.
According to Fox News, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici was struck by a car on Saturday as she attempted to cross a street in Portland.
Also involved in the incident was Bonamici's husband, U.S. District Judge Michael H. Simon. While Simon was only left with minor injuries, his wife's communications director said the law maker was treated for cuts to her head along with a concussion.
She was treated for a concussion and laceration to her head. He was treated for minor injuries. She has been released from the hospital to recover at home.
— Natalie Crofts (@njcrofts) January 14, 2023
Crofts went on to explain in a subsequent tweet that although her boss "expected to make a full recovery," Bonamici had to forgo two previously scheduled town hall events.
Fox News noted that the driver of the vehicle which struck the congressman cooperated with authorities and is facing no charges at this time.
Supporters Bonamici reacted to her accidents with concern and took time to provide advice on how to deal with a concussion.
Hope she knows not to push too hard with concussion. It’s not just getting your bell rung, brush it off & walk away. Check out @PinkConcussions also on Facebook
— Shannon (@RHlobbyist) January 14, 2023
Meanwhile, others suggested that Bonamici's accident served as evidence that "Portland Metro is not safe for pedestrians."
Glad to hear that they both were not badly injured and will recover.
Just another reminder that Portland Metro is not safe for pedestrians. I wish something would be done since this sort of thing happens way too often around here.
— ethereal spirits (@etherealspirits) January 14, 2023
Safety in general appears to be on the decline in Oregon's biggest city, with Fox News reporting this past October that violent crime there went up by more than 38% in 2021 over the year before. Whereas Portland saw 3,148 reported violent crime incidents in 2020, the tally grew to 4,374 in 2021.
Oregon's Fox 12 reported last week that Portland has experienced four shootings near schools in as many months, something that Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero addressed at a meeting on Friday.
"I want to make sure we have a nuanced conversation about what that means," the superintendent was quoted as saying. He added, "There are no panaceas or simple solutions here."
However, School Board Chair Andrew Scott said that putting more police officers in schools is "one potential component of the larger public safety question."
