Michael O’Callaghan dies in fatal Portland MAX train crash

Michael O’Callaghan dies in fatal Portland MAX train crash

Fatal Portland MAX train crash death of Michael O’Callaghan

Michael O’Callaghan, an 81-year-old former Portland mayoral candidate, was struck and killed by a TriMet MAX light rail train while riding his bicycle in Southeast Portland on Wednesday afternoon.

According to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, O’Callaghan was traveling northbound on Southeast 8th Avenue near Southeast Division Street when he entered the southbound lanes of traffic—where no railroad crossing arms are present—and was hit by a MAX train heading toward Milwaukie as he crossed the tracks.

O’Callaghan, who was unhoused at the time, had run for mayor the previous year. A sixth-generation Oregonian and self-taught lawyer, he focused his campaign on homelessness, safety, and housing issues in Portland.

TriMet expressed condolences to the cyclist, the train operator, and witnesses, describing the event as tragic and confirming that the incident remains under investigation in collaboration with authorities.