Woman killed crossing outer Forest Avenue in Portland
Outer Forest Avenue in Portland, where a woman was hit and killed Monday night. (Andrew Rice/Staff Writer)
Portland police are investigating a fatal hit-and-run that occurred Monday night on outer Forest Avenue, the latest in a string of injuries and deaths that has city officials increasingly concerned about pedestrian safety.
According to a news release, officers responded at 9:18 p.m. to the area of 1837 Forest Ave. for a report of a pedestrian who had been hit by a vehicle.
A 57-year-old woman was found dead at the scene, and witnesses reported that she was crossing the street at the time. The victim’s identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Witnesses described the vehicle as a dark-colored pickup truck, which was last seen traveling inbound on Forest Avenue.
Police spokesperson Brad Nadeau said members of the department’s crash reconstruction team are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash. They are asking that anyone who witnessed the crash, has information about the incident, or may have surveillance, dashcam, doorbell, or other video from the area at the time of the crash contact investigators at 207-874-8575.
Nadeau declined to answer additional questions Tuesday about the incident or the victim.
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It is the second pedestrian fatality in Portland this year and sixth since the start of 2025. With each death, Portland officials have faced increased pressure to address pedestrian safety, and the city has rolled out a number of initiatives and road projects.
Last year, Justin Mitchell was hit and killed while crossing Riverside Street near the Homeless Services Center. The city installed new crosswalks in the area months later.
In June, 53-year-old Jason Ayers was struck and killed while on a raised median at the intersection of Preble Street and Marginal Way. That same week, residents reported other pedestrian-involved accidents to city officials, including a middle-schooler who was struck while in a Woodford Street crosswalk.
The area of Forest Avenue where Monday’s hit-and-run occurred features the Portland Friends Meetinghouse, the former Tortilla Flat restaurant building that will soon be the site of a housing development, and a rear entrance into Hannaford.
Across the street is an entrance to the Wellesley Estates housing complex and a bus shelter. A crosswalk is located in the vicinity, but has not been repainted since new pavement was laid down.
Myles Smith, chair of Portland’s bicycle and pedestrian advisory committee, said that while details on the crash are not yet known, Forest Avenue is among the city’s most dangerous stretches of road and the hit-and-run Monday is further evidence that speed limits should be reduced.
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“A lower-speed collision is much less likely to be fatal no matter what the other circumstances are,” he said.
Smith and the committee, as well as some elected officials, have supported a “20 is Plenty” initiative that would lower speed limits to 20 mph on most city streets. Changing speed limits on state roads like Forest Avenue — which is listed at 35 mph — is more complicated, but some cities have lowered limits on these types of major roads to 25 mph or 30 mph.
Last week, city staff announced a series of pedestrian-friendly traffic signal updates along outer Washington Avenue, another problematic corridor. Officials said those improvements were tied to an ongoing Vision Zero effort to reduce pedestrian injuries and deaths.
Construction crews this week also installed a series of raised speed tables along Ocean Avenue and in Payson Park.
In Maine, if a person is involved in a hit-and-run accident that causes serious injury or death, it carries a maximum penalty of 12 months in jail, a fine of up to $2,000, and 90 days of a suspended license. If the driver was found to be driving reckless or under the influence, the penalties are steeper.
In late May, Cumberland County District Attorney Jacqueline Sartoris announced that her office will begin considering charges in any car crash that injures or kills a pedestrian or cyclist.
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Tagged: pedestrian accident, Portland
Andrew Rice is a staff writer at the Press Herald covering the city of Portland. He's been working in journalism since 2012, joining the Sun Journal in 2017, then the Press Herald in 2026. He lives in. More by Andrew Rice
