Photo by Dave Killen/Staff

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By The Oregonian/OregonLive staff

Three women were hospitalized following an apparent hit-and-run on the Portland State University campus Friday morning, according to witnesses at the scene.

Police pulled over the suspected vehicle at Northeast 16th Avenue and Glisan Street on Friday afternoon and took its driver into custody.

Greg P. Porter, 61, faces accusations of attempted murder, first-degree assault, reckless driving and failure to perform the duties of a driver. His most recent listed address is Secora, a rehabilitation facility in Southeast Portland.

James Aldred, an administrator at Secora, said the man police arrested was a patient at the facility who moved out May 1 when he finished physical therapy.

Aldred said the suspect suffered from delusions.

"It doesn't surprise me that he was involved in something," Aldred said, but that he wouldn’t have expected “something to this degree.”

One of the female victims is in critical condition at OHSU Hospital, according to a source. Another is in serious condition and the third is in fair condition.

Police say there may be a fourth victim who left the scene.

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Portland Police update the media on the arrest of a suspect Portland Police update the media on the arrest of a suspect in this morning's hit-and-run. The suspect was taken into custody at NE 16th and Glisan. Posted by The Oregonian on Friday, May 25, 2018

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The incident occurred at the Portland State University Urban Center, a hub that houses university departments, eateries and is the location of a MAX station and several bus stops.

Police said the women were walking along the east sidewalk of Sixth Avenue when they were struck.

Several witnesses say the vehicle was a blue, mid-sized SUV. Portland officers soon began searching for a 2005 Mazda Tribute with front-end damage, a leaking radiator and the license plate number 491 JHT.

A Portland police source said early Friday the registered owner of the SUV is flagged in the bureau's database as suicidal with mental health issues. Police also believe the crash was intentional based on witness statements.

Beth Anne Steele, FBI spokeswoman, said FBI agents were sent to the Portland State University campus to assist Portland police, as requested. “In any critical incident, the FBI offers additional resources to our local partner agencies,’’ she said.

PHOTOS: First responders, witnesses at the scene at SW Sixth and Montgomery

TRAFFIC: Green, Yellow and Orange lines disrupted, buses detoured near PSU

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A look at scene here at NE Glisan and 16th. Police blocking off scene. Possibly suspect car from PSU hit and run. You can see front end damage! #liveonk2 pic.twitter.com/5pFqVlr78N — Genevieve Reaume (@GenevieveReaume) May 25, 2018

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Police saying to women have life threatening injuries and a third has what does not appear to be life threatening injuries. pic.twitter.com/oHCPJHCrXE — Beth Nakamura (@bethnakamura) May 25, 2018

PSU student Jenny Torgersen sent a message to her parents Friday while she was in class. She told them she was two blocks away from where a car mowed down several pedestrians and that she was OK.



When her class got out, she received messages from her parents, informing her the car involved was their old SUV. Her parents had sold it a few months ago on Craigslist and didn't know the man who had purchased it, Jenny Torgersen said.



"It was really bizarre seeing the car all over the news,'' she said. "This is the car I learned how to drive in, the one we'd drive every year to California.''

Christopher Bond told The Oregonian/OregonLive that he was nearly hit by the vehicle and said the driver "gunned the motor" as it sped toward him after already hitting three people.

Bond, 48, said he was sitting outside of the Starbucks at Southwest Sixth and Mill drinking a coffee when he heard a scream. He looked up the street and saw the SUV coming towards him. He jumped up and stood against the brick wall next to the tables as the driver made for him.

“Another half-foot more, he would’ve clipped me,” Bond said.

Bond said he couldn’t see the driver through the windshield, and he didn’t have time to write down the license plate.

One of the victims was lying on her side, Bond said, and there was a black mark on her back he thinks was from the car’s bumper or tires.

Paramedics came within five minutes, Bond said.

Isabela Juan, 26, was on her way to the PSU library after chemistry class when she came across the scene. Paramedics and officers were already there.

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Juan said she saw one of the women lying in the fetal position, bleeding from her nose, apparently unconscious. When paramedics put her on a gurney, Juan saw that half her face was covered in blood.

Another victim was screaming and crying, Juan said. It seemed like she had hurt her hips and couldn’t walk.

Two of the women were lying close together, near where a ramp comes up to Southwest Sixth Avenue. A third was a little farther away, closer to Café Yumm.

Patrol Sgt. Pat Kelly said the driver plowed onto the sidewalk and “really banged up a lot of people.’’

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Karah Hudman, a sophomore majoring in psychology at PSU, said she was leaving a Starbucks on her way to take a statistics exam when she came upon the scene.

As she stopped to figure out what was happening, she saw one person who seemed unconscious and another who was yelling. Hudman stayed long enough to see a first responder check the unconscious woman’s pulse.

Standing a few blocks away an hour later, Hudman was in tears. She said the experience made her doubt for her own safety. She’s considering taking online classes next semester and thinks she might stop using earphones when walking outside.

Standing at a corner with a backpack on her shoulders, Hudman sobbed. She was about to call her mom when reporters stopped her.

“It’s just really scary because I feel this stuff keeps happening,” Hudman said.

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Photo by Shane Dixon Kavanaugh/Staff

Police have blocked the intersection and TriMet says MAX Green, Orange and Yellow lines are disrupted. Shuttle buses will serve riders between the Rose Quarter and Southwest Jackson Street.

Portland Fire and Rescue in a tweet said the intersection should be closed for the next four hours at least.

There were articles of clothing on the sidewalk following the incident — athletic shoes lay on the ground next to a shirt.

Classes at PSU will go on as planned, the university said on Twitter.

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Devastating little scene remains though most of the crowd appears to have moved on. pic.twitter.com/HGetL4K0vQ — Beth Nakamura (@bethnakamura) May 25, 2018

Matt Ritzi, 33, who's visiting Portland, said he was walking to Portland State University from the waterfront when he turned onto Sixth Avenue and saw the aftermath.

"I heard a lot of moaning and crying," he said. "I didn't see much movement."

Ritzi said he saw three or four bodies on the ground and more than a dozen people trying to aid them.

PSU classes are proceeding as planned, the university said in a tweet.

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Portland State University is open with classes and events operating as scheduled. The area near SW 6th and Montgomery St. closed by police tape should be avoided. — Portland State (@Portland_State) May 25, 2018

In a note to parents, officials at St. Mary's Academy said the school is in lockdown for the rest of the day.

The Multnomah County Health Call Center has also announced that it is available for those impacted by the incident at 503-988-4888, or toll-free at 800-716-9769.

Lauren Peoples, who was downtown for a seminar, said she saw the SUV hit two women who were crossing at Sixth and Montgomery. She said the women were just about to reach the curb when they were struck.

The SUV was traveling in the transit-only lanes, Peoples said, and didn't stop or slow down.

"I thought he was going to drag them down the street," she said. "He just kept going down the street swerving."

Peoples said she couldn't tell if the crash was intentional.

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Photo by Dave Killen/Staff

Chris Tinnin, who works at Portland State, heard the crash, came down from his office at corner of Sixth and Montgomery and saw at least two females on the ground.

“I heard screaming,” he said.

Lizzy Acker, Maxine Bernstein, Eder Campuzano, Shane Dixon Kavanaugh, Dave Killen, Beth Nakamura, Elliot Njus, Andrew Theen, Kale Williams and Fedor Zarkhin of The Oregonian/OregonLive staff contributed to this report.

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Police using Trimet platform surveillance cameras to investigate this incident. Cops are at Trimet headquarters now I’ve confirmed, watching the tapes to see how this happened, how fast car was going, etc pic.twitter.com/lqK53Q4pW9 — Nina Mehlhaf (@NinaMehlhaf) May 25, 2018

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My thoughts are with those injured in this morning’s hit-and-run. Thank you to the first responders and to those investigating. I’ve spoken with Police Chief Outlaw, Fire Chief Myers, and leadership from PSU and OHSU. We will provide more information as it becomes available. — Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) May 25, 2018

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My thoughts are with the victims of today’s horrific hit-and-run in downtown Portland. Big thanks to the first responders who came to the scene. — Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) May 25, 2018

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Shocked and saddened by the hit-and-run in Portland. My thoughts are with those injured and our entire Portland community.https://t.co/BFyYmqk8Am — Senator Jeff Merkley (@SenJeffMerkley) May 25, 2018

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Sky 8 over hit and run crash Sky 8 is over a hit and run crash near Portland State University. An SUV drove onto a sidewalk and reportedly hit three women. https://on.kgw.com/2J94Sl8 Posted by KGW-TV on Friday, May 25, 2018

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Clothes at end of ramp witness says girls were hit. Police tape, LE and people everywhere here now pic.twitter.com/sr3fAdG0fo — Beth Nakamura (@bethnakamura) May 25, 2018

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This just showed up. Parimeter expanding as I type. Dozens of LE here. pic.twitter.com/PgIJ5SSphz — Beth Nakamura (@bethnakamura) May 25, 2018

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Reports of three women hospitalized after a hit and run near Portland State University. Reports of three women hospitalized after a hit and run near Portland State University. This is a developing story. Follow live updates: http://bit.ly/2KVrW3M Posted by The Oregonian on Friday, May 25, 2018

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From rooftop of building on SE corner of 6th and Montgomery pic.twitter.com/Hw6WwhdV3P — Dave Killen (@killendave) May 25, 2018

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A @portland_state employee says he saw two people on the ground injured in this intersection and potentially a third. pic.twitter.com/8qHkylw0d4 — Andrew Theen 🚎🚘🚲🚃🚦 🏀 (@andrewtheen) May 25, 2018

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At scene of vehicle / pedestrian collision near SW 6th and Hall. Witness says blue SUV traveling east on Montgomery and crossing 6th hit three pedestrians on or near east 6th ave sidewalk, then driver fled scene. pic.twitter.com/kdWhKGoeZH — Dave Killen (@killendave) May 25, 2018

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