Victim in fatal Portland crash identified as Scarborough eighth grader

13‑Year‑Old Killed in Saturday Night Crash on Portland’s Warren Avenue; Investigation Underway

A fatal collision on Portland’s Warren Avenue last Saturday night left 13‑year‑old Abdulrahman Mohammed of Scarborough dead and injured two other teenagers, police said Monday. The incident occurred around 9:00 p.m. near 512 Warren Ave., as a group of teens hurried onto the road from the north side and were struck by a vehicle driven by a 48‑year‑old Portland resident.

Mohammed, an eighth‑grade student who had recently transferred to Scarborough schools after attending Biddeford schools in earlier grades, was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other boys— a 14‑year‑old and a 15‑year‑old—were taken to Maine Medical Center with serious but non‑life‑threatening injuries. A fourth teenager in the group escaped without injury. Police have not yet charged the driver and have declined to release details about the vehicle or the origin of the teenagers.

The crash took place on a stretch of Warren Avenue that has no sidewalks, crosswalks, or streetlights and carries a 35‑mph speed limit. The north side shoulder is narrow and the south side has a newly installed sidewalk that ends abruptly past the I‑95 overpass, a location adjacent to the Fitness Factory, Goldfish Swim School, and the Portland Sports Complex. The area is heavily used by students and athletes traveling to and from the complex.

“No sidewalk, no crosswalk, no streetlights, high speed limits — we don’t know all the facts of what happened here, but we do know that streets like these are deadly,” Myles Smith, chair of the city’s bicycle and pedestrian advisory committee, told reporters on Monday.

Smith said the lack of pedestrian infrastructure makes it impossible for thousands of kids to reach the sports complex safely. He pointed out that while a sidewalk exists in front of Aroma Joe’s, it disappears after the overpass, forcing pedestrians onto a narrow shoulder. The 2021 overpass reconstruction had added a sidewalk on the south side but left the north side shoulder smaller.

The incident has intensified calls for a Vision Zero program in Portland. The Bicycle Coalition of Maine’s Executive Director Andrew Zarro said, “Our first responsibility is to hold space for those who are grieving.” He added that the organization would “make sure we learn everything we can from this crash and act so that another family does not have to experience this.”

The tragedy is the third pedestrian fatality in Portland this year. Earlier in August, a woman was killed in a hit‑and‑run on Forest Avenue, and in June a man was struck on Marginal Way. The city has five pedestrian deaths recorded last year.

Superintendent Diane Nadeau of Portland Public Schools released a statement to families on Monday identifying Mohammed and describing him as “friendly, fun‑loving, with a big personality and someone who enjoyed time with his friends, playing soccer and basketball.” The school district has offered counseling to students in both Portland and Scarborough.

Deering High School’s superintendent, Ryan Scallon, confirmed that three of the teens involved were students at his school but said he could not share further details “out of respect for the privacy and wishes of the students and their families.”

City Councilors Anna Bullett and Wes Pelletier weighed in on the incident. Bullett urged residents to attend upcoming city meetings, writing, “Another tragedy on our city streets,” and calling for “more resources and bold and swift Vision Zero actions.” Pelletier explained that commercial‑industrial corridors like Warren Avenue tend to be designed for high speeds and minimal pedestrian infrastructure, stating, “We need processes that put people before cars.” He suggested immediate removal of the center turning lane under the overpass and the use of cones and new markings to improve safety.

Police remain investigating the crash, but no charges have been filed. Officials have not released information on the type of vehicle or the teenagers’ destination. The investigation will determine whether any traffic violations contributed to the fatal collision.

As the community mourns Mohammed’s loss and the injuries of the other teens, the incident underscores the urgent need to improve pedestrian safety on Portland’s streets. The city, schools, and civic groups are working together to assess the area’s infrastructure and to pursue Vision Zero goals that prioritize people over cars.