Topline: An Oregon emergency room doctor was sentenced to prison after prosecutors said he hit a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk, drove around the victim and then went to work.
Published: June 11, 2026 4:30 pm ET
Shawn Fletcher
Committed to the craft of journalism and am driven by my desire to inform and inspire.
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Nicolas Hernandez (via GoFundMe)
PORTLAND, OR — Kenneth Kolarsky, 59, was sentenced Tuesday to 13 months in prison and three years of post-prison supervision after pleading guilty to attempted failure to perform the duties of a driver to an injured person in a fatal December 2024 hit-and-run case.
According to KSDK, Kolarsky struck Nicolas Hernandez-Mendoza on Dec. 26, 2024, as Hernandez-Mendoza was walking across North Pacific Highway near Williams Avenue in Woodburn after activating crosswalk safety lights meant to alert drivers to pedestrians in the roadway.
Prosecutors said Kolarsky stopped after the impact, drove around Hernandez-Mendoza’s unconscious body and then left the scene.
Officers found Hernandez-Mendoza lying in the road and he was taken to a Salem hospital, where he died during emergency surgery.
Authorities said Hernandez-Mendoza suffered a fractured cervical vertebra, a fractured pelvis and internal bleeding from his spleen that surgeons were unable to stop.
Investigators determined that about 20 minutes after the crash, Kolarsky walked into Legacy Silverton Medical Center, where he worked as an emergency room physician with Northwest Acute Care Specialists.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Brendan Murphy said leaving the scene after striking someone with a vehicle shows a callous disregard for human life and was especially offensive because it was committed by a professional who had taken an oath to do no harm.
Woodburn police arrested Kolarsky on May 17, 2025.
The Marion County prosecutor’s office said charges were limited to the hit-and-run because there was insufficient evidence to determine whether the crash itself was criminal.
During sentencing, Judge Courtland Geyer said Kolarsky left “a community member fallen and in the dark” and acted with an “absence of dignity,” according to prosecutors.
Legacy Silverton Medical Center contracts with Northwest Acute Care Specialists to staff its emergency rooms. The medical group’s president said at the time of the crash that Kolarsky had been placed on administrative leave while the investigation was pending.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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An Oregon emergency room doctor was sentenced to prison after prosecutors said he hit a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk, drove around the victim and then went to work.
By Shawn Fletcher
Published: June 11, 2026 4:30 pm ET
Nicolas Hernandez (via GoFundMe)
PORTLAND, OR — Kenneth Kolarsky, 59, was sentenced Tuesday to 13 months in prison and three years of post-prison supervision after pleading guilty to attempted failure to perform the duties of a driver to an injured person in a fatal December 2024 hit-and-run case.
According to KSDK, Kolarsky struck Nicolas Hernandez-Mendoza on Dec. 26, 2024, as Hernandez-Mendoza was walking across North Pacific Highway near Williams Avenue in Woodburn after activating crosswalk safety lights meant to alert drivers to pedestrians in the roadway.
Prosecutors said Kolarsky stopped after the impact, drove around Hernandez-Mendoza’s unconscious body and then left the scene.
Officers found Hernandez-Mendoza lying in the road and he was taken to a Salem hospital, where he died during emergency surgery.
Authorities said Hernandez-Mendoza suffered a fractured cervical vertebra, a fractured pelvis and internal bleeding from his spleen that surgeons were unable to stop.
Investigators determined that about 20 minutes after the crash, Kolarsky walked into Legacy Silverton Medical Center, where he worked as an emergency room physician with Northwest Acute Care Specialists.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Brendan Murphy said leaving the scene after striking someone with a vehicle shows a callous disregard for human life and was especially offensive because it was committed by a professional who had taken an oath to do no harm.
Woodburn police arrested Kolarsky on May 17, 2025.
The Marion County prosecutor’s office said charges were limited to the hit-and-run because there was insufficient evidence to determine whether the crash itself was criminal.
During sentencing, Judge Courtland Geyer said Kolarsky left “a community member fallen and in the dark” and acted with an “absence of dignity,” according to prosecutors.
Legacy Silverton Medical Center contracts with Northwest Acute Care Specialists to staff its emergency rooms. The medical group’s president said at the time of the crash that Kolarsky had been placed on administrative leave while the investigation was pending.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Doctor Sentenced After Driving Around Dying Pedestrian He Hit on Way to ER Shift
An Oregon emergency room doctor was sentenced to prison after prosecutors said he hit a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk, drove around the victim and then went to work.
By Shawn Fletcher
Published: June 11, 2026 4:30 pm ET
Nicolas Hernandez (via GoFundMe)
PORTLAND, OR — Kenneth Kolarsky, 59, was sentenced Tuesday to 13 months in prison and three years of post-prison supervision after pleading guilty to attempted failure to perform the duties of a driver to an injured person in a fatal December 2024 hit-and-run case.
According to KSDK, Kolarsky struck Nicolas Hernandez-Mendoza on Dec. 26, 2024, as Hernandez-Mendoza was walking across North Pacific Highway near Williams Avenue in Woodburn after activating crosswalk safety lights meant to alert drivers to pedestrians in the roadway.
Prosecutors said Kolarsky stopped after the impact, drove around Hernandez-Mendoza’s unconscious body and then left the scene.
Officers found Hernandez-Mendoza lying in the road and he was taken to a Salem hospital, where he died during emergency surgery.
Authorities said Hernandez-Mendoza suffered a fractured cervical vertebra, a fractured pelvis and internal bleeding from his spleen that surgeons were unable to stop.
Investigators determined that about 20 minutes after the crash, Kolarsky walked into Legacy Silverton Medical Center, where he worked as an emergency room physician with Northwest Acute Care Specialists.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Brendan Murphy said leaving the scene after striking someone with a vehicle shows a callous disregard for human life and was especially offensive because it was committed by a professional who had taken an oath to do no harm.
Woodburn police arrested Kolarsky on May 17, 2025.
The Marion County prosecutor’s office said charges were limited to the hit-and-run because there was insufficient evidence to determine whether the crash itself was criminal.
During sentencing, Judge Courtland Geyer said Kolarsky left “a community member fallen and in the dark” and acted with an “absence of dignity,” according to prosecutors.
Legacy Silverton Medical Center contracts with Northwest Acute Care Specialists to staff its emergency rooms. The medical group’s president said at the time of the crash that Kolarsky had been placed on administrative leave while the investigation was pending.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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