A mechanical issue may have caused the Portland Streetcar's crash and derailment Thursday, which sent one person to the hospital and tied up streets for hours.

Dan Bower, the Portland Streetcar's executive director, said state investigators are examining a "potential mechanical issue" with the Oregon-built streetcar that was involved in the worst crash in the transit service's 17-year history.

"It wasn't an operator error," Bower said Tuesday in an interview, "and it wasn't a speeding issue."

Bower said he couldn't say much beyond that, citing the ongoing state investigation. The Oregon Department of Transportation, which is conducting the investigation, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The streetcar crashed shortly after 1 p.m. on Southeast Grand Avenue and Southeast Taylor Street in the Central Eastside Industrial District. The incident blocked traffic on the busy thoroughfare throughout the rush hour commute and into the evening. It took crews nearly 12 hours to get the train off the road.

United Streetcar, the now-defunct manufacturing arm of Clackamas-based Oregon Iron Works, built the streetcar that crashed. Bower said the train derailed after colliding with one of the three other vehicles involved.

Immediately after the crash, Streetcar Safety Officer Steve Fisher pulled five other vehicles built by United Streetcar as a precaution. He said the vehicles were put back into service after an evaluation indicated they were safe.

The station at Taylor Street remains closed, but Bower said it will likely reopen Wednesday.

He said the crash was a "very serious incident" in the streetcar's history and marked the system's fourth derailment. Portland police confirmed one person suffered injuries that weren't life-threatening but declined to provide an updated status on their injuries.

Bower said his organization is taking the crash seriously and using an abundance of caution. "Our track record in terms of safety is very solid over the years," he added.



-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen