Stephen Kanter was driving on Southeast Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard Saturday night when a car went barreling past him, he said.
Kanter, former chief attorney for Portland’s Metropolitan Public Defender and emeritus dean of Lewis & Clark Law School, watched as the car crashed directly into the bus stop where a woman, identified Monday as Jeanie Diaz, was waiting. The car struck Diaz and flipped over into the road, landing just inches from Kanter’s car near the intersection of Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard and Taylor Street, he said.
Diaz, a youth librarian at the adjacent Belmont branch and the mother of two young children, died at the scene. The driver, later identified by police as Kevin Michael Scott, crawled out of the car mostly unharmed and stayed at the scene, Kanter said.
It took 20 minutes for emergency services to arrive, Kanter said. He said his call to 911 wasn’t being answered, so he hung up to get help another way. A fire vehicle was passing by and stopped at the scene, and the firefighters called for assistance, Kanter said. Medical help arrived shortly after, followed by police.
“If she had survived the hit, which I really doubt, she would’ve had no chance,” Kanter said. “The lack of response is inexcusable.”
Police said Scott was showing signs of intoxication from alcohol, and he was booked in Multnomah County Detention Center on allegations of first-degree manslaughter, DUII and reckless driving.
At his arraignment Monday, Scott pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Kevin Michael Scott, 48, pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree manslaughter, DUII and reckless driving Monday.Nick Gibson/The Oregonian
Diaz’s husband, Arturo Diaz, told Multnomah County Circuit Judge Christopher Ramras that his wife was a talented artist, a passionate youth librarian and caring mother to their two daughters, who are 8 and 5 years old.
Jeanie Diaz was born and raised in Portland and worked as a youth librarian at the Multnomah County Library for over seven years, her husband said.
“Her dream was to be a youth librarian in her hometown, which she achieved through her hard work and dedication,” he said.
Arturo Diaz said children his wife helped during her years at the library, or who attended one of her story hours, often thanked her later in life for the impact she had on them when they were young. His wife also volunteered frequently at her daughters’ schools, he said.
Diaz asked the judge not to release Scott. The judge then set Scott’s bond at $50,000. If Scott or someone he knows pays 10% of the bond, Scott will be placed under court supervision and will not be allowed to consume alcohol or drive a vehicle.
A GoFundMe fundraising site for Jeanie Diaz has raised over $27,000 as of Monday evening.
“It’s impossible to describe here the feeling of profound loss,” Arturo Diaz wrote in a Facebook post. “She loved us … she loved books and she loved you.”
— Nick Gibson; ngibson@oregonian.com; 971-393-8259; @newsynicholas
– Austin De Dios; adedios@oregonian.com; @austindedios; 503-319-9744
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