Four Pedestrians Struck and Injured by Drunk Driver in Old Town

Press Release

A drunk driver is facing numerous charges after he struck and injured four people running a stop sign in the Old Town Neighborhood Friday morning.

Published

July 4, 2025 11:18 am

On Friday, July 4, 2025 at 2:01 a.m., Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Officers assigned to the Central Precinct Entertainment District Detail responded to a fight at Northwest 4^th Avenue and Northwest Couch Street. They found a large group of more than 100 in the area of the fight. Officers broke up the scuffle, finding no notable injuries, and the group began moving away.

A silver Ford Mustang being inspected by two PPB officers, 2 police vehicles with lights flashing behind

At that moment, a driver of a 2018 Ford Mustang going eastbound at an estimated 20 to 25 miles per hour on Northwest Couch Street ran a stop sign as an estimated 10 people were crossing the street. Four people were confirmed struck and injured. Three officers were also in the area addressing the disturbance and were nearly struck by the driver of the Ford.

The Officers immediately rushed to the door of the vehicle, ordering the driver out. The driver appeared to struggle with the vehicle controls, placing the vehicle in reverse briefly. The officers ordered him to stop, he complied, and was taken into custody on suspicion of Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and other crimes.

Meanwhile, EMS was responding to treat the victims, all of them adult females. Two patients were transported by ambulance to the hospital, and two elected to transport themselves in private vehicles. Injuries to the victims were non-life-threatening, consisting of concussions, a broken arm, and laceration to the head requiring stitches.

An officer from the PPB Traffic Division responded and assisted with the investigation, ultimately confirming that the driver was impaired by alcohol. They booked the suspect, Tyler William Miller, 32, of Portland, into the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of DUII, Reckless Driving, Assault in the Third Degree (2 counts), and Recklessly Endangering Another Person (15 counts). Booking

The Ford was towed from the scene.

Silver Ford Mustang parked in the street, police vehicles behind with lights flashing

Independence Day is filled with celebrations, family, friends, food, and fireworks. But all too often the festivities turn tragic on the nation's roads. The fact is, the 4th of July holiday is also one of the deadliest holidays of the year, due to drunk-driving crashes.

According to data from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), during July 4th from 2019 to 2023, there were 2,653 people killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes over the Fourth of July holiday period — 40% of the drivers killed were drunk.

This Independence Day, local communities across the country are supporting NHTSA's national Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving awareness campaign. Did you know that even a small amount of alcohol can impair your driving? For example, even a blood alcohol concentration of .02 can affect someone’s ability to perform two tasks at one time – and that affects your ability to drive safely.

RESOURCE

Tips for Getting Home Safely Without Driving

Tips to Celebrate Safely

If you plan to drink, make a plan ahead of time for a sober ride home.
Even if you’ve had only one drink, let someone who hasn’t been drinking take you home. A sober driver is one who does not drink at all, not the one who’s had the least to drink.
If you’re hosting a Fourth of July gathering, help the designated drivers out by making sure there are plenty of non-alcoholic beverages.
Have a friend who is about to drive impaired? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.
If you see an impaired driver on the road, safely pull over and call 911.
Always wear your seat belt.

Drunk driving isn’t the only risky behavior causing crashes on our roads; drug-impaired driving is an issue too. Whether the drug is obtained legally or illegally, drug-impaired driving is dangerous and illegal in all states. Remember, If You Feel Different, You Drive Different.

Please celebrate our Nation's Independence Day safely and responsibly.

PPB will have officers working all weekend looking for impaired drivers, as well as other behaviors that most frequently are factors in serious injury crashes. Those behaviors include speeding, impairment, driving distracted, and disobeying signals. For more on the Traffic Division, click here.

Image links:

https://www.portland.gov/sites/default/files/2025/DUII-car-Peds-struck-1-25177095.jpg

https://www.portland.gov/sites/default/files/2025/DUII-car-Peds-struck-2-25177095.jpg

https://www.portland.gov/sites/default/files/2025/DUII-car-Peds-struck-3-25177095.jpg

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