Inset: Samir Helio Pazzoto-Filho. Background: Pazzoto-Filho’s minivan crashed into a motorcycle in Oregon, cops said (Beaverton Police Department).
Cops in Oregon tracked down a minivan driver who allegedly struck a motorcyclist, causing him to fall off his bike and slide some 200 feet across a busy highway during an apparent road rage incident.
It happened around 6:16 a.m. Monday on westbound U.S. 26 between U.S. 217 and Cedar Hills Boulevard in Beaverton, a Portland suburb. Cops posted a video of the incident taken from a vehicle that was driving behind the incident. It shows the driver of the minivan and motorcyclist involved in an apparent verbal confrontation as they drove side-by-side down the highway.
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Suddenly, the minivan driver swerved toward the motorcycle, sideswiping it and causing the rider to fall and slide across the highway. The minivan driver then sped off, weaving in and out of traffic. Other drivers pulled over to aid the fallen motorcyclist.
Beaverton police posted a clip of the video to its social media pages on Monday evening. A tip came in that identified the driver as 41-year-old Samir Helio Pazzoto-Filho. Cops said officers went to the home not far from the accident scene on Tuesday and found Pazzoto-Filho’s blue Kia Carnival with damage consistent with the accident.
Pazzoto-Filho is facing several charges including assault, hit-and-run, reckless driving and unlawful use of a weapon.
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According go police, the victim suffered serious injuries but is already home resting with family. Identifying him only as Correy, his sister started a GoFundMe page to help with medical expenses. She described the aftermath of the crash.
“The impact was so severe that it launched him over 200 feet, and the force of the collision drove the gear shifter through his boots,” she wrote. “Miraculously, Correy survived. Thanks to the kindness of nearby strangers, he was quickly transported by ambulance to the hospital and received urgent medical care.”
The page also shows the victim’s scuffed up jacket and helmet along with a boot with a hole in the toe.
Cops believe Pazzoto-Filho had been driving recklessly “in the days prior” to the incident involving a motorcycle. Anyone with information is asked to call the Beaverton Police Department at 503-526-2261.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Pazzoto-Filho remained in the Washington County Jail. His next court appearance is slated for May 13.
