Former La Grande man killed in Portland following vehicle vs pedestrian crash

By Garrett Christensen on Thursday, January 15th, 2026 in Northeastern Oregon News Northeastern Oregon Top Life Stories  PORTLAND – The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) recently issued a release confirming that 67-year-old Jerry Spears passed away on January 7 from fatal injuries sustained in a vehicle vs pedestrian crash on the evening of December 3, 2025. Though living in Portland at the time, Spears was originally from La Grande and, according to his sister (who initially reached out to Elkhorn Media Group) graduated from La Grande High School in 1976. The full press release from the PPB is as follows:

“On December 3, 2025, at 6:27 p.m., North Precinct officers responded to Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Northeast Bryant Street regarding a crash involving a pedestrian. The driver remained on scene and was cooperative.

The preliminary investigation found that the driver was traveling northbound on MLK when the pedestrian began to cross the street from east to west in a marked crosswalk and was struck. The pedestrian was transported to a local hospital with traumatic injuries.

On January 8, 2026, a representative of the Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s Office notified PPB’s Major Crash Team Sergeant that the pedestrian, Jerry Spears, 67 of Portland, died on January 7, 2026, and the death was a result of injuries sustained in the crash. Spears’ family has been notified of his death.