Sleeping in Linnton St Johns Bridge.jpg

A 55-year-old bicyclist was killed after being hit by a SUV while riding on the St. Johns Bridge on Oct. 29, 2016. The driver was later arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide.

(Janet Eastman/The Oregonian/2015)

Joel Schrantz

A suspended driver who lost control of his SUV and fatally struck a bicyclist Saturday on the St. Johns Bridge chuckled when he told a Portland police officer that he'd gotten 30 to 40 tickets for driving with a suspended license over the last 20 years, court documents say.



Joel Schrantz told police he bought the 1995 Toyota 4Runner in June, knew it needed new back tires and claimed his girlfriend reminded him a week before to replace the bald, treadless tires, a probable cause affidavit said.

Driving in wet weather caused the SUV to skid several times, Schrantz claimed, including on the day of the crash when he accelerated east toward the bridge, fishtailed more than once, then slid into the bridge's westbound lanes and hit 55-year-old Mitchell T. York.



York died at the scene of the crash. The impact from the SUV sent York off his bike and underneath the front of another car driving west on the bridge, police said.



Schrantz, 42, of Portland was arrested and booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on suspicion of criminally negligent homicide. He was released Monday after posting 10 percent of his $20,000 bail.



Court records show Schrantz has criminal convictions dating back to 1993 for offenses including unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and driving with a suspended license. In January 2015, Schrantz was sentenced to 12 days in jail in Multnomah County for a hit-and-run crash that occurred in May 2014. Schrantz' license was suspended for 90 days in that case.



Schrantz told an officer at the scene of the bicycle crash that he kept getting tickets for driving while suspended because he never reinstated his license, the affidavit said. He said he usually bought cars for $500 and replaced them because of mechanical issues.



Schrantz said he didn't see York until just before hitting him, the affidavit said. He didn't know why he continued to keep his foot on the accelerator as his SUV was sliding on the road.





-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey